Til Death Do Us Part?
by pastxoxo
Summary: Santa Carla has a habit of 'taking care' of the lost that come to it. When twins Becks and Archie arrive the seaside town takes it hold, in the form of leather clad biker boys. Changes are going to be made parties will be crashed and blood will be shed...
1. Chapter 1

"It doesn't smell like the sea side." I rolled up the window of the taxi and sat back.

"'Cos you know that's the reason I agreed to come here, it wasn't the threat of becoming homeless, it was for that salty sewage smell." Archie grinned at me

"Shut up." I elbowed him in the arm, looking back out of the window, I could just about see the lights from the stall and rides on the board walk but the taxi moved on to the coast road and the view illuminated. Archie leaned across me.

"Well, that looks fun."

"Might as well make the most of it." I grinned at him but then jumped violently. There was a loud bang on the side of the car. I looked at Archie and then back to the window. Four bikes surrounded the taxi, two on each side. The one who had hit the side of the car stuck his face right up to the window and grinned through the glass at us and laughed as the bikes pulled away and drove off.

"Stupid fucking kids." The taxi driver grumbled under his breath as the car turned into the drive way of our Aunt Clarissa's house.

"Home sweet home." I murmured as the car pulled up outside the house. The door opened and our Aunt came out, the doppelganger of our mother, only the incredibly dated patterned clothes and wooden jewellery hinted at their differences.

"Darlings! Children! Welcome!" She came at us as we got out of the car, handing over money to the scowling taxi driver, who hauled out the three suitcases from the boot, took the money and drove off, tyres squealing. I frowned at the car, raising my eyebrow at Archie, who shrugged. We turned our attention to Clarissa.

"Look at you two. How you've grown. Come on inside. We don't want to just stand out here in the dark now do we?" Following her pointed finger into the house, we each took a bag. Clarissa was the last one in. She glanced out of the door one last time before shutting it and herding us into her living room. The room was huge; nearly half the size of our entire old house.

"So this is, well I guess it's now the _family_ room." She looked so happy. I guess every bad thing has some sort of, I don't know, silver lining. Sure, our Dad, who had solely taken care of us for the last sixteen years since our American mother had left us to run away with some oil mogul back in California, had had a heart attack at one of his gigs and died. This left me and Archie under our Mother's control, who at this precise moment was holidaying in her summer villa in Italy with her husband Chesington and their sixteen year old daughter, Isabella, And se we were being left with our Mother's older sister, Clarissa, in her house in Santa Carla until our Mother decides what she wants to do with us. However, it had made Clarissa's year having us stay with her, her bangles clattering as she fussed about us. I watched as she left the room, telling us to make ourselves at home. I pulled Archie towards me as he stared around the room.

"This is weird." I whispered.

"Tell me about it. There's no TV, no radio and check out the heavy duty shutters." I glanced around the room too.

"What are you to whispering about?" Clarissa came in smiling holding a tray. "Plotting away." We smiled awkwardly back at her. Like with the rest of our Mother's family we hadn't really had much contact with our Aunt, but she seemed to be the nicest one we had met so far. "Now, I've got Earl Grey tea. I know how you English like your tea. And there are some scones too, just so you felt at home. Now sit, sit," We sat down instantly.

"Erm, do you have any juice or water, it's just I can't have caffeine after 8 o'clock." I felt terrible the moment I had said it, but she just kept on smiling.

"Sure, Sure. I'll go get you some. Help yourself Archibald. A growing boy like you needs to keep up his energy up." She thrust the plate of strange looking scones into his lap before going back into the kitchen.

"I...erm...thanks." Archie called after her, taking a scone and examining it closely before shrugging and stuffing the entire thing into his mouth.

"Pig." I laughed at him. He opened his mouth and lunged at me. "Get away" I scowled his chewed food. He quickly shut it as Clarissa came back in with yet another tray, this time with six glasses, each with a different coloured liquid in.

"I didn't know which flavour you'd like so I brought you a few." She grinned at me and I smiled weakly back and took the closest one and sipped it slowly. "Now, I know this isn't the most joyous time in the world for you. I too am deeply saddened about your father's passing, such a free spirit. And I just want you to both know that if there is anything you need just let me know. Your mother said she would try and call sometime this week. Now, I've just got a few issues we should discuss so while you stay here we can all get along. I know you both follow your father's spirit and I don't want to cage you in," Archie and I shared a look, "but, I'd like to know your plans and times you will be in. You can use anything in the house, just let me know." She smiled and took one of the hand painted tea cups off the tray and stood up. "And never invite anyone in you don't know." For a moment she stopped smiling, but then made an extreme effort to change. "We don't want any unknown negative energy entering our home, now do we?" She laughed lightly. "Now, grab your possessions and I'll show you to your rooms. It is, after all, getting late. Come on." She picked up one of our holdalls, as did me and Archie and we followed her out of the living room, back into the hall and up the stair case. "Now, you've each got your own room; do with it whatever you wish. Express yourselves!" She threw her hand with the tea cup in it in the air, liquid spilling over the sides as she carried on across the hall. "Perhaps tomorrow you can get some paint from town." She turned to face us, winked and then opened the door. "Archibald,"

"Archie. You can just call me Archie."

"Of course, Archie. This is your room. As I said, do what you want." She put down the bag she was carrying as did Archie, who stood in the centre of the room. It was bare apart from a futon and a wardrobe in the corner, and a large window. Clarissa left Archie in the room and herded me across the hall way into the opposite room. "And this, darling Rebekah, is your room." I opened the door. The room again was pretty empty apart from a pine four poster bed and matching wardrobe. My eyes widened when I saw the bed, and I smiled. "When I knew you were coming I just saw this and thought of you, fit for a princess." I turned round and actually hugged her. She looked surprised but hugged back. "Now, just leave your bag here, we'll go pick up your bother and I'll show you to the bathroom."

She opened the bathroom door and me and Archie stood in silent shock. The matching toilet, sink, bath, and shower unit were all neon aquamarine with pink painted on symbols.

"Just remember to wash out the bath and shower when you've finished. And I've put a set of towels in your wardrobes for you." She walked back between us into the hall way. "And this, my dears, is my room." She patted the door. "My door is always open if you ever need to talk." She smiled again. That's all she ever seemed to do. "Anyway, time for bed. I'll be going for a walk at seven if either of you wish to join me, and then I'm at work from nine but I shall be back at three." She moved passed us and went back downstairs, murmuring to herself.

"Well." Archie looked at me.

"I know." I agreed. I followed Archie to his room to get some of my things from the holdall Clarissa had left in his room. I stood watching him open up his suitcase and just stare at it. "I miss Dad." I don't know where it had come from but I just felt upset. It had only been a month and there was just this constant twinge. Archie didn't look up.

"Me too." I moved over and leant against him, resting my chin on his shoulder.

"Wanna come see my room, you know, so I can rub the awesomeness of it in your face." I grinned and dragged him out of the room. Ah, nothing like masking all feelings. I stood by my bed, modelling it like a magician's assistant. "Look at it. Bask in its amazingness." Archie laughed.

"Very nice. And check out your window seat." He moved further into the room and over to the far wall, and over to the large covered window, like the rest of the windows in the house, by heavy wooden shutters. Underneath the window, partially covered by the shutters, was a cushioned window seat. I squealed and followed him.

"As if." I stood in front of it and stared, clasping my hands together. Archie reached up and unclasped the lock and swung the shutters open. "Oh Archie, look at it go." I jumped on to it and stared out of the window. You could see the road we came in from barely through the trees round the house, and beyond that downwards you could see flickering lights from the boardwalk. I sighed, staring out. Archie came and sat down beside me and stared too. There was movement from the door way and then from outside the revving of motor cycle engines came from the road. I leaned closer to the window. It looked to be the same boys as before. As I looked on I was wrenched from the seat, as was Archie and the shutters were slammed shut.

"You mustn't open these after dark." Clarissa relocked them and moved back. I turned around.

"Sorry Clarissa." I said.

"Just don't do it again." She smiled at us, but it wasn't the same happy smile as before. She wished us a good night again and shut the door.

"What the hell is wrong with this place?" I heaved my suitcase on to my bed, opening it and sifting through everything, trying to find my pyjamas.

"Bad crime rates?" Archie sat down on my bed.

"I hope so. So what do you reckons gonna happen?" I found what I was looking for and shoved the suit case back off the bed. Archie was lying down now.

"I don't know Becks." He sighed and closed his eyes.

"Yeh." I sat next to him, nursing my nightwear.

"We'll be fine."

"Always are." I stood back up and went over to the door. "I'm off to remove things from my face. I'll see you in the morning, yeh?" Archie rolled over.

"Sure thing dear." He kissed the top of my head and crossed the hall way and over to his room. I followed him out but turned left and went into the bathroom. I wiped off my make up and took out my contact lenses. I began to brush my teeth and looked around the room, it was official we were staying with a crazy person. I spat and rinsed and went back to my new room.

As I lay with the lights off that night, I heard, just before falling asleep, the noise of motor cycle engines.


	2. Chapter 2

When I woke that morning I was still surrounded by darkness. Those shutters were really light proof. It took me a while to be able to roll out of bed and let the light in. I braced myself for the Californian sun to flood my room in warmth but was sadly disappointed. As I opened the shutters the noise of heavy rain drops hitting the canopy outside washed through me. I just stared. I had seen plenty of Hollywood films to know that it never rained in America. I scowled and padded out of my room to the bathroom to get ready to face the day.

I got downstairs, having decided to adapt the summer clothing I had be dying to wear by putting on thick woolly tights underneath the plaid skirt and added a cardigan over the white shirt.

"What's the deal with this?!" I demanded as I got through the door. "This never happens at the pictures." I sighed, slumping down on to one of the sofas in the 'family' room.

"Hollywood has let you down again." Archie added, his mouth full of cereal. I murmured my agreement and then we sat in silence.

"I'm sure something should be happening right not." I frowned.

"TV." Archie gurgled, looking a bit manic. "She has no TV." I grimaced along with him. "Crazy Hippy." He growled into his neon coloured breakfast. With the lack of television distraction I stood up and had a gander around the room. On the wall opposite the sofa was a large bookshelf. I ran my fingers along the spines, stopping at titles such as 'Protecting Homes From Evil' and 'The Right Crystals For You (third edition)'. I stopped doing that and went over to the large floor to ceiling length bay window at the end of the room leading out into the garden.

"What time is it?"I asked Archie as I watched the rain drops beat the ground.

"Two o'clock." He said scooping another pile into his mouth.

"Two?!" I turned around to him, "I've been asleep for fourteen hours. Jeez." Archie shrugged. "More importantly, why are you eating neon cereal at two in the afternoon?" Archie swallowed hard and smiled at me, holding out the bowl.

"HAVE YOU TRIED THESE?! They taste so good...want some?!" I screwed up my face and shook my head.

"I've got a rule about food that glows in the dark. I don't eat it." I quipped, turning back to face the window. Archie came to stand next to me.

"I bet she's growing something down there." Archie commented.

"Or raising goblins." I grinned.

"Goblins?" I nearly screamed. Clarissa was stood behind us, peering out into the garden, as though looking for them.

"You're home early." Archie was the first to speak. He had been as frightened as I had and had managed to splatter the cereal discs down his shirt.

"What? Oh yes. Yes well I finished early today, and I didn't want to leave you two alone on your first day here." She moved away from the window and I turned to face her. She looked completely different in her plain skirt suit that she had when we'd met her yesterday, like a real grown up. "Now, do you want to do anything this afternoon?" She asked, walking away from the room. Shrugging to each other we answered.

"No." There were loud bangs from upstairs and then,

"Well," She came back in the room, zipping up a rain mac which probably matched that bathroom of hers, with added green and reds. "I thought you children would like a trip into town with me. If you're not doing anything then you can." She looked so happy.

"But it's pouring." I whined, looking out of the window.

"Then wear a coat. Now come on, come on, we want time to get around before it gets too dark...late." I sighed and we both moved dutifully out of the room to our own to find suitable outerwear. I managed to tip everything out of my suitcase until I found my coat. Most of mine and Archie's stuff was being shipped over when everything became a little more permanent so the only coat I had was the one one of my Dad's friend, Nigel, had made for me. We used to stay with him when Dad was playing with his band in London and general down south areas. He was a costume designer for one of the Dury Lane theatres and had made it for my 17th. It was basically a black trench coat but came just above the knees and was largely gathered at the back, mimicking some sort of ball gown with a large hood. So I guess I was sorted there, although I really didn't want to ruin it in the rain. I sighed and put it on, looking around the floor for shoes.

When I reappeared downstairs Archie and Clarissa were stood there waiting, Archie in his old rugby team jacket.

"Let's go then." Following her like ducklings out of the door, I expected to get into a car to go down, but no. "You've got two pretty legs on you that will do just as good." Dying a little inside we walked down a path built into the side of the hill into the town and then along the street lined shops until the town met the boardwalk. "Now, I know you won't want to hang around with me so how about we meet back here in say two hours? Maybe have some dinner and go back home? Oh you'll want some money, here," She grabbed Archie's hand and stuffed some money into it. "Will that be enough?"

"Thank you, but you really don't need to..."

"Don't be silly, now I'll see you at five?" She waved and hurried off.

"You know, there are times when I think she is actually scared of us. Not that I blame her, Grim Reaper." I shoved him.

"Shut up," I said quickly opening my coat. "I don't think the Grim Reaper has pink silk lining now does he?" Archie shrugged. "so dear brother of mine, what shall we do?" We both scanned around. There were fairground rides up and down the board walk, along with various stalls. "Shopping?" I grinned.

We walked along the stalls,

"It's just tourist tat."

"I know, I know," I was taking great pleasure in forcing him to stop at each stall. He was scowling at me.

"I'm off to buy some fags." He stalked off. However this now left with nothing to do because I wasn't going to carry on with the stalls on my own, and I couldn't go on any of the rides by myself. I sighed and moved away from the stalls and headed up to the sea front. It has stopped raining now but it was still cool out. I sat down on one of the benches and looked out at the sea. The sun was beginning to set and lowering itself into the water. There was another half hour til we had to meet Clarissa. I looked back up the beach. I thought I could see Archie a bit further up with a group of people, but I couldn't quite work it out. I sighed. And for the next half hour I sat there, on my own, because I am that cool. At ten to five I began walking back to the top. As I went I glanced back to where I thought I had seen Archie before, but there was no one there.

When I got back to the street Clarissa was already stood there.

"Where's Archibald?" I shrugged. "Oh, you know you really shouldn't go wandering off on your own around here." She looked genuinely worried, scanning up and down the street. A few minutes later, Archie came down the way I had. I had been him I had seen, the same group of people watching him come towards us. I looked at them. A group of four boys. One of them, with white blond hair caught me staring and I quickly looked away.

"I'm not late, am i?" Archie asked. He made Clarissa jump, who hadn't noticed his arrival.

"No, no, no, not at all."

"Good, I've just been talking to some people from the board walk. They seem pretty cool. Clarissa looked to where he had come from, but there was no one there.

"That's lovely dear, now come on."

"Anyway, I wondered if it was ok with you if I go meet them again after this." Archie said casually as we sat down.

"I don't know, Archibald. I don't really know. I don't want you going off on your own." Clarissa said, ordering our food with the waitress.

"Well, Becks'll go with me." I opened my mouth to protest and received a painful kick under the table.

"Well..."

"Listen, I've got my phone. If anything happens we'll call you." Archie smiled, the same smile he and I had been perfecting for years since being small children to get what we wanted.

"OK, just be careful." Archie shovelled a spoon into his mouth in happiness. The rest of the meal was spent in relative awkward silence.

"Right, well we'll see you later." Archie grabbed my hand as we all left the cafe before Clarissa could say anything and dragged me off down the path to the board walk again. I looked back and saw her clasping something in her hands and speaking to herself. I frowned but she disappeared as we got to the sea front itself.

"Will you let go." I snapped at Archie.

"Chill out."

"Shut up." He shoved me and I dropped the bangle I had been fussing with. I scowled and bent down to pick it up. He must have spotted his new friends as he scurried off and I was left alone, again. I rolled my eyes as I reached for the jewellery and stood back up to try and spot where he had gone.

O O ----- O O

Archie slowed down as he reached the guys.

"Hey."

"Hey Arch, didn't think you were coming back." Dwayne snarked, the boys snickering between themselves.

"Is that your girl friend?" Marco looked back to where Becks was gathering up her dropped bracelet off the floor.

"Her? God no, that's my twin sister." David looked back over and smirked.

O O ----- O O

I walked slowly towards them. Yeh, this isn't weird. They were all staring at me and only Archie and one of them were smiling. Shit. Shit. Shit. I smiled awkwardly at them all.

"Erm, hi?" I stood just out of their circle and stiffly waved quickly.

"Hey." One of them winked at me, with long blond hair. I looked away. Archie had now joined them sat on a wall, watching people move along the board walk. I stood apart, fumbling with my bracelets. Wow, this is fun. One of them turned to look at me. His black trench coat hung behind him. He smirked at me and then his eyes went to the space at the edge of the wall next to him. I smiled weakly and moved over to the space. That was the one that had caught me staring before. As I sat down he leaned his head next to mine, ignored by everyone else.

"Hello Rebekah." I turned my head to face his. He was closer than I thought he had been and we were face to face.

"Hi." I whispered back. He smirked and went back to watching the public. My gaze followed his. And we all sat there. The boys and Archie passed comments between themselves but I sat in silence. I wasn't that I wasn't happy I just never know what to say in front of strangers and I didn't want to make an idiot out of myself.

We must have stayed there like that for a good hour. It was really dark now.

"Let's do something man." The guy who had winked at me as I came over stood up, and looked at the guy sat next to me. He stood up, which apparently was a cue for the rest of them, including Archie. They began to move off but I quickly grabbed Archie.

"I think we'd better get going." He pulled out of my grip.

"Why? It's only half seven." I frowned at him but he walked off any way. I sighed and followed him.

"Man, I am H U N G R Y." The dark haired guy groaned as we all got back on the board walk.

"Why don't you two go take Archie to go get take out? You like Chinese don't you Rebekah?" The blond boy who had spoken to me before turned to me. I looked startled but agreed, trying to explain that I wasn't hungry but he went back to ignoring me again. The older looking blond with long hair, and the dark haired guy grinned and began to walk off, Archie in tow who looked back at me as he walked off and I scowled at him. I hated being around people I didn't know, I got ridiculously shy and then seemed rude for not talking. I turned back round and the guys that I had been left with were already walking down the board walk.

O O ----- O O

Marco glanced back at Rebekah.

"What are we gonna do now David?" He grinned at the girl and then at David, stopping when there was no reaction from his leader. David then smirked.

"Dinner."

Marco laughed.

O O ----- O O

"Arch, you just wait out here man."

"Yeh, we..._know_" Paul grinned, "the owner. So we'll just go in." Archie stood outside the takeaway, leaning against the outer wall. Perhaps moving to Santa Carla wouldn't be so bad.

O O ----- O O

We had come to a stop towards the end of the board walk. There were four bikes parked up. The younger looking blond guy was sat on one of them taking to some girl. Yet another person I had not been introduced to. I leaned against the rocky hill side that lead away from the board walk. The other blond guy came and leant against it too, taking out a cigarette and held out the packet to me, not looking as he lit up.

"No, erm, thanks but I'm not drunk enough." I let out a nervous laugh and he retracted the pack.

"Well, we'll have to see about that." He smirked as he exhaled smoke. I bit my lip and looked off to see if I could see any of the other guys. The other guy from the bike came over, looking between me and the other guy. I _really _needed to learn some names. The other guy ignored him which seemed to be the cue for the bike boy to move closer.

"So, Becks. How long you and Arch here for?" He seemed like the only genuinely nice one out of all of them. I gave him a half smile and shrugged.

"It's kind of indefinite at the moment. I don't think there's much chance of going back, so I guess this will be home for a while."

"Cool. So what, you staying in a hotel or something?"

"No. At out Aunt's, she..."

"Hey guys." The others were back from the takeaway. I turned to see them and then frowned at the brown haired boy.

"You're bleeding." I motioned to his lips and he wiped them, grinning, but said nothing.

"Who wants noodles?" The long blond haired boy held out a tray of boxes, I had a box thrust into my hands and the boys began to walk again. I grabbed Archie before he could join them.

"Well _ARCH, _having fun?" I growled at him.

"What?" He scowled back.

"We don't even know these guys and we're following them around all night?"

"Just cos you can't make friends, doesn't stop the rest of us. Just talk to them."

"That's not the point. You just met them. You don't know who they are." He rolled his eyes at me and pulled his arm out of my grip and purposely began to follow them. I stood frowning after him, then some drunk old man lurched out of a gap between to buildings at the end of the board walk and tried to grab me. I screamed. Archie and the tall blond in the long trench coat turned around, the others kept going. I tore myself away from the drunk's grip and hurried to catch them up. I carried on scowling at Archie while I was with them. And he scowled back.

The two guys that had gone off with Archie were now playing at one of the fairground style stalls, being joined by Archie, all shouting and jeering as they did. I put my box down on the floor next to my feet as I watched them, and smiled. Suddenly the tall blonde's face was next o my ear.

"Not hungry?" I turned, looking startled.

"Erm, I, not really..." He smirked and moved away. I watched him for a second as he watched the crowded fairground and then the younger blond walked past me, just as the other three turned round from their game. They carried on jeering as he went to meet the girl he had been talking to at the bikes. He wrapped an arm round the dark haired girl and began leading her back to the bikes. Just as he was out of sight it began to pour down again. I gasped and rushed to pull my hood up, still managing to get soaked before.

"Archie!" I yelled over the noise of the fair the rain hitting the ground. "Maybe we should head back now." He turned and scowled.

"But it's only nine. Becks it's just a bit of rain." I tried to glare him into going home but he was too infatuated with his new friends to care. I tried pulling the coat round me further but it wasn't happenings. I sighed. I was cold , and wet and my shoes were beginning to soak up water.

"I'll take her." The blond guy next to me said. Her? Cos clearly I wasn't standing right there. The he turned and smirked at me. But you know, if he's insisting... Archie shrugged and carried on with what he was doing.

"Bye then." I muttered as I walked past him. As the board walk opened up I could feel the guy behind me. "You know, you really don't have to." He shrugged and smirked.

"Got nothing better to do."

"Right." I said. I then stopped. "I don't even know your name." I half smiled at him, trying not to appear rude.

"David." He brushed passed me and carried on walking. I hurried to catch up.

"I don't really remember which street it was, but there was a short cut, somewhere." I looked at the streets off the board walk and then back to David, who was staring at me. "You ok?" I said looking down at my coat, making sure there wasn't anything on it, and then looked back up at him.

"I'm fine." He looked at my face and then headed up one of the streets. As we got to the end of the street I recognised where we were and I saw the opening to the path up the hill.

"This is the one." We walked towards it, I stopped. "How did you know which one I was talking about?" He just carried on walking.

"Archie told me." We got to the beginning of the path and he stood aside to let me go first. I smiled at him and walked on, he walked right behind me. " You know, you should learn to trust people more." I stayed quiet and carried on walking. We stayed in silence for a while until I sighed quietly.

" Don't you like it here, Rebekah?" David murmured behind me.

"No, it's not that."

"Then is it us you do not like?" I couldn't seem to pin point where his voice was coming from, it seemed to echo all around me.

"No, I mean yes. No I mean no, it's not you. I mean..." I turned round to face him with a weird confused grin on my face. But he wasn't there. I frowned looking around to the sides and down the path. I then back to the way I was heading before and there he was. Stealthy.

"Right." He smirked at me and carried on up. We were nearly at the top of the hill and the rain was still pouring. David's hair was flat and dripping down onto his over sized coat.

"Stop right there." The loud pompous voice came from nowhere and made me jump and smack straight into the back of David, who had turned around, not fazed by the voice, smirking down at it. I looked up, the water dripping from his hair was also dripping down his face. Yum. "Where are you going?" I watched David's face but he remained silent. I looked down where the voice had come from. Stood there was an member of the fuzz, with a bright shining badge and gun.

"Home." I squeaked. Heard David snort slightly behind me and the policeman continued to frown. "I mean I'm going to my Aunt's house. I'm new and I didn't really remember where it was and..." my voice got quieter as I spoke until I finished and stood looking at my hands.

"Do you know this man?"

"Yes?" I looked up at the policeman.

"Do you want me to escort you home ma'am?" I moved closer to David.

"No." Perv.

"Just be careful young lady." He said as I carried on up the path. There was a moment and then I felt David behind me.

"What was all that about?"

"Strange things happen around here." David muttered.

"What?" But he didn't say anything. We were just about at the top, and I could see the road that was in front of our new house. I turned around, about to thank him for walking me home when he grabbed me. His hands closed around my wrists and we both moved backwards against the tree line. I froze in terror. I wanted to scream. FUCK. The policeman was right , and now I was going to die. I stared at him, wide eyed. David was staring at me too, but his gaze was directed at my neck. He kept staring. I managed to whimper something and his eyes darted to mine. They were piercing. I just stared back. I was breathing heavily, waiting for him to make the next move. Oh my god, that smirk. I tried to form words, but I couldn't. His face moved closer to mine.

"Good night, Rebekah." He was so close. He really had cold breath. The rain continued to drip down both our faces.

"Night." I managed to force out. And then he was gone. I guess I must have, I don't know, closed my eyes or something, because he had just gone. I looked around but I couldn't see him. I mentally shook myself and headed to the house.


	3. Chapter 3

I had persuaded Clarissa to go to bed and was sat in my bed with the door open, waiting for Archie to come home. It was now half one and I kept drifting off. Then the front door slammed. I jumped and then heaved myself out of bed and to the top of the stairs. The door was wide open. The door behind me opened and Clarissa was stood there, looking crazier than ever. I smiled slightly at her.

"It's just Archie." She made to come out of the door but I stopped her. "It's ok. I'll go check he's ok." She accepted this and closed her door. I stormed downstairs. Just as I was about to slam the door I swore I could have seen the guys at the bottom of the drive but I looked closer and there was no one there. I sighed and shut the door. Then turned and went on the hunt. "Fun night?" I leant against the door frame looking into the 'family' room. I cocked an eyebrow at Archie as I watched him reaching down to take off his shoes and falling on the floor. He grunted something and then laughed. I shook my head and moved into the room. "Get up." I tugged on his arm but he pulled away and staggered to get up on his own.

"You're such a buzzkill..." He wandered out of the room.

"I beg your pardon?" I stormed after him frowning. He crawled up the stairs and I followed. "I just covered your arse with Clarissa, who is going _completely_ fucking psycho..." I watched him stumble around his room pulling off his shirt.

"You don't know what you're talking about." He mumbled and flung himself onto his bed in a vain attempt to remove his jeans.

"So what? You're just going to be this big man around your friends?" We were both yelling now. Clarissa must have been able to hear us but she didn't come in.

"Grow up Rebekah." He flumped down on his bed and groaned.

"Piss off Archibald." I turned the light off and slammed his door, leaving him in the dark. I walked across to my room and my bed. I want to say that my last thoughts before sleep were angry ones about Archie but all I could see was a certain blond was all I saw as I drifted off.

O O ----- O O

I sat in the living room, family room, whatever these American's called it, coffee cradled in my hands and the Bloody Chamber resting on my lap an the perfect scowl on my face. I had been sat there since 8 o'clock this morning waiting for Archie to rise so I could make a pint of not talking to him. It was now getting on to be 11 and although I loved this book I had gone through four cups of coffee and I was getting bored and twitchy. I sighed and lolled my head against the back of the chair. Bored now. I knew I had totally over reacted with Archie last night. Kind of. I mean, I still wanted nothing to do with his weird, grabby friends, but...ugh, I was so twitchy and restless and annoyed and I just wanted my old life back.

"FUCK!"

Archie walked in to the as I was mid paddy. I had thrown my empty cup to the floor as I had the book and I was now pacing the floor, wringing my hands together.

"Ah, the morning breakdown. You just don't see them enough any more." He moved into the room, avoided me and peered into the coffee pot. I screamed. "Keep it down." He moaned, slumping into the chair I had been in.

"I can't do this." I looked at him. He looked blankly back at me. "You stupid hung over...idiot." I stormed of the room, leaving him looking dazed and confused.

I went into the kitchen for some paracetamol and noticed the note stuck on the fridge :

'_Good morning children. I hope the bright morning brings with it brighter moods. I've left some money on the bookcase, please may one of you go into town and pick up an order from the book store for me. _

_Your mother has also sent some money for you. I thought it would be nice to get started on those blank canvas rooms of yours,_

_Be safe, _

_Clarissa'_

I swallowed the two tablets I'd found and went back into the family room.

"I think I got incredibly high last night." Archie mumbled as I came through the door.

"Wow, you're cool." I shot back.

"I distinctively remember flying." I cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Drunk and stoned? Nice." I sighed. "Clarissa wants us to go pick up some stuff from town. Plus Mother dearest has sent money."

"Ah, the great pay off."

"Indeed. Anyway, our happy dappy Aunt has visions of us gathering paint and I don't know, throw pillows or some such shit. I mean I don't know who she expects..."

"I think I have a motor cycle."

"What?" I stopped mid sentence and stared at him.

"I think I came home on a motor cycle." He still looked half asleep.

"Are you sure you didn't just get a lift?" I couldn't keep the sarcasm out of my voice.

"I dunno." He stumbled out of the chair and out of the room. I followed. We both came to the front door and I opened it. The Californian sun blared in and Archie made a strange hissing noise and shielded his eyes. Out on the drive way sat a black and silver scramble bike.

"Oh." We both stood there staring for a while. "Any...recollection of how you obtained this? You didn't mug anyone?" We looked at each other and he shrugged then I shrugged, closed the door and we both went back in. "Well I suppose that solves that." I murmured. We sat back down in silence. A really awkward silence. I sat in the chair at one side of the room and Archie sat at the other, and we didn't even look at each other.

"Paint, huh?"

"Yeh."

"Cool."

I sighed.

"This is stupid. Come on Becks. I'm sorry. I know that it's hard. It's not like I'm not going through it too." He was sat staring at me.

" I know," I muttered, "we can't go back."

"I know." He came over and sat on the arm of the chair I was sat in.

"Have fun last night?" I turned and grinned at him. He laughed.

"Heaps and heaps apparently. No idea what I did though. You should have been." I rolled my eyes at him.

"Whatever. I wished you'd walked me home though. Your new friends are, well, you know, complete psychos."

"Shut up Becks." I hit him.

"Look at my wrists." I thrust them at him, but as I looked myself there was nothing there. Archie cocked an eyebrow at me. "But he grabbed me." I murmured bringing my arms back down, massaging my wrists.

"Who? David? You wish." I scowled. I'm sure there was bruising last night. Like Archie said maybe it had just been wishful thinking, but I wasn't going to let him know that. "You gonna come out tonight?" He had slid off the arm of the chair and onto the seat itself so we were both fully wedged in. I sighed.

"I don't know Archie." He jabbed me with his elbow. "Ow, dickhead." He mimicked me. "Shut up." He carried on. "Do you want to just go and get this stuff for Clarissa?"

"Sure, sure, sure." We both made an effort to move but couldn't. We used to sit like this as small children but either the chairs used to be bigger or my arse now was, and I like to think it was the chairs.

O O ----- O O

We were stood outside once again, staring at the bike.

"Do you even know how to ride this?"

"I guess so." He went over to it and stared and then patted down his jean pockets, and there was a key. "You coming?" We got on and after a few moments of loud revving we moved off down the road, turning off along the main coast road, down into Santa Carla itself. There were no helmets so my long hair was going everywhere and then air went up the legs of the knee length denim shirts I wore, and although the sun was beaming down I was freezing.

We parked the bike on the boardwalk, at the opposite end to where we had been last night. There were proper shops along here. Once off the bike I stood fiddling with my hair, trying to get rid of the 'dragged through a hedge backwards' look I was sporting at the moment. Some guys in a jeep drove past and yelled out the window.

"Oh piss off." I yelled back. Archie came to stand next to me.

"Ooooh, very classy."

"Everyone loves a potty mouth." I grumbled as I gave up on my hair, scrunching it up further, trying to pass it off as some sort of sexy beach slash bed head look but I'm pretty sure it just looked like I didn't own a brush. "Come on." We walked up the board walk until I spotted a book shop. I stuffed my hand into my hoody pockets trying to find the receipt that Clarissa had left us. I got hold of something and pulled it out, but it was just the money. "Shit. Shit. Shit." I stuffed the money at Archie and went back through my pockets again. Finally I found the receipt. "Got it. Let's go. Archie?" I turned around to see him off up the street. "Archie!" People passing stared. He turned and quickly came back over, stuffing some of the money into my hand.

"I'll meet you back here in a bit, yeh?" He set off the way he had been headed before.

"Archie!" I yelled after him again but he didn't stop. "Thanks." I muttered under my breath and stuffed the notes into my pocket and headed over to the shop.

I went in and peered around for a member of staff. The shop itself wasn't that big and it was really dark. I moved a little further into the shop, about ready to give up when a guy came up behind me.

"Can I help you?" I yelped and spun round. He stood there, trying to hide his grin at my response.

"Hi." I said as I regained my composure.

"Do you need any help?" He asked again.

"Oh. Yes. Yes. I'm here to pick up a book, I guess." I handed him the receipt. "It's for my Aunt." He took it and went off into the back. I stood in the middle of the shop on my own, feeling a bit of a lemon and waited.

The guy came back after about five minutes with two huge tomes.

"Oh fuck off." I muttered under my breath. The guy looked up.

"Pardon?" He rested them on the till desk.

"Oh, nothing. I was just fantasising at the hernia I'm going to get." He smiled.

"Well you'll defiantly build up your muscles." I went over to the till and looked at the books. 'Divination and You' and 'The Road to Peace : a step by step guide to the crystals for the journey'.

"Do I need to pay anything?" I said going back into my pockets.

"Nope. Just need to take them away."

"You say that like it's an easy thing." He laughed. "I don't suppose I could leave them here and come back in a little bit? I need to pick some things up and I don't think I'll be able to man carrying it around."

"Sure thing. Any reason for you to come back and see me." He turned around to place the books behind the till, on the floor. I laughed at him.

"Is that so?"

"Well I'm presuming you're new round here, as I've never seen you before and because of that quaint accent of yours." I cocked an eyebrow at him as he turned back around and continued. "So I'm also presuming that you're living with Crazy Clarissa up there near the cliffs and so you must be terribly lonely and need showing around." He leant against the till. I leant against it too.

"And to think it was just because I have bad arm muscles." He laughed. "What time do you close?"

"Four o'clock." I tapped the books.

"I'll be back for them before then." I smiled at him and left.

Back on the street I grinned and then headed on my way. As I walked I got out the money I had left. There was forty dollars. That was like what? Twenty quid? Did that buy a lot or not? I sighed. I kept on walking til I found a diy craft type shop. I guess this was a good a place as any as I doubted there was a B&Q handy.

Inside the shop was like Clarissa had morphed into interior design and spread herself all over the walls. Beads and drapes and dangly things. Everywhere. I looked around for ideas. There were rolls of muslin along with other materials. I went over and found some green and purple ribbon. I looked around again and picked up the tiniest can of pale blue paint. Sorted. I went to the till and put it down, smiling. The woman smiled back and added it all up and then added the VAT. Ah, I had forgotten about that. I had just enough. She bagged it up and smiled again.

I got back out on the street and slipped my phone out of my back pocket and rang my dear brother.

"Quozi Modo's Whore House. How can I help you?"

"Where abouts are you?"

"At the bike."

"Oks."

"See you soon bitch face."

"Dickhead." I hung up and went back over to the parked bike.

I got there and Archie was already there, leant against his bike. I stopped and stared.

"Toffee?" He held out a paper bag at me.

"You're bald!" I ran over.

"Not bald. Fuzzy." I laughed and stroked his head.

"So you have spent your money on hair and sweets?" I asked taking a toffee and sticking it in my mouth.

"Don't be silly. I bought this too." He stood up and showed me what he had strapped to the back of his bike.

"A TV?"

"A TV DVD combo"

"Sexy." I grinned. "However, the ride home is going to be a tighter one."

"Home?" He looked at me.

"You know what I mean." He sighed. "Look, we still need to go get Clarissa's books. They're about the same size as that thing." Archie stuffed his bag of sweets into my bag and we set off back to the bookshop. "Nice shades by the by." I said, trying to grab at them.

"Yeh. My eyes were hurting. I guess I'm still a little hung over or something." He said straightening them. "Plus, you know, they make me look cool."

We went into the bookshop and once again there was no one around.

"Hello?" I walked up to the till.

"Hey you." The guy from before came out from between two of the shelving units. I smiled at him as he moved behind the till. He dropped the books onto the till point and then noticed Archie, gazing around, still wearing his sunnies.

"Not as lonely as you thought, eh? I winked at him and I picked up the books and tried to gracefully stagger out.

"I'll see you around." He called after me.

Archie followed me out of the shop, not once offering to carry anything. I dropped the books on top of the TV on the bike.

"Thanks."

"S'ok." We stood looking at the bike. "You want to strap them in with the telly?" I smiled at him.

"Not just a pretty face." We undid the cord and redid it, tightened it around the books as well. Sorted. We set off back up the cliff to Clarissa's.

O O ----- O O

It had just gone three by the time we had got back. Clarissa wasn't home from work yet so me and Archie were sat in his room. He was trying to get his new TV to work, whilst I was threading ribbon through the top of the green material I had bought to create curtains for my bed, as I sat on his , watching, laughing and heckling.

"Tell me about your new friends then Archie. Names and stuff?" He didn't turn round, just shrugged his shoulders.

"I dunno."

"Archie." He sighed heavily.

"There's David, who you've already met. And Dwayne and Paul and Marco."

"And?"

"And what?" He shook the TV set and a picture appeared on the screen.

"Well, I dunno. What do they do, where do they live?"

"The same as us probably, very little, and they live in Santa Carla. And they seem alright and don't mind hanging out and I don't see what your problem is with them, as I don't see any other better offers, as I'm sure as hell not hanging round closed up in this stupid house for the rest of my life." He gave the TV another shake and the sound joined the picture.

"I don't have a problem. I was just asking." I shook the material out as Archie joined me on the bed and watched the TV.

"So are you coming out tonight? Or staying in?"

"Fine. Whatever. But you're going to have to tell Clarissa."

"Tell me what?" We both looked up from what we were doing. Clarissa was stood in the door way. I looked at Archie.

"There's a gig on the beach tonight and we just wanted to let you know we were planning on going." Archie looked up at Clarissa and I could see her face reflected in his glasses. She looked a little, I don't know, disgruntled. I guess Archie had seen it too. "There are some bands that Dad used to play with. I mean if you don't want us to its ok. It's just that, you know..." I was about ready to kill him.

"Oh, no, no. You go." She smiled weakly and left the room. I smacked him.

"What the hell?! That was a horrid thing to do. Don't bring Dad into this just so you can go and get high." I hissed at him. "And did you see her face? She's going out of the way for us." He rolled his eyes at me. "What the fuck is the matter with you?" He stood up and ran his hand through his hair.

"Dad wouldn't want us to stay at home. Don't bother saying he wouldn't Becks." I didn't answer him and went back to my curtains.

O O ----- O O

Clarissa called us down at six. I had managed to attach all the material to the bed using some more pins and ribbon. I for one was impressed by my craftsmanship. Downstairs Clarissa had made cucumber soup with tomato bread. I hadn't spoken to Archie since are disagreement but we shared a smirk and grimace at the food but sat down and thanked her anyway. She sat down with us in the kitchen and the small talk began.

"So how do you like Santa Carla?" She said looking eagerly between us.

"Its great." I said taking a spoonful of soup and gulping it down quickly. "How was work?" Clarissa opened her mouth to answer but our attention was pulled away as Archie choked and spat out the soup he had just swallows, knocking over his bowl to the floor. He came off his chair and ended up kneeling on all fours coughing. Clarissa ran over to him.

"Archibald? Darling? Are you ok?" She rubbed his back as he knelt, gasping for air. I went to find some kitchen roll or something to help clean up. I rubbed his back as she went off to get him a glass of water.

"Are you ok?" He nodded, still gasping.

"The poor lamb must be allergic to the soup." She placed a glass of water on the table. Then the phone rang. Clarissa hurried out to get it. Archie crawled back onto his chair, breathing deeply with his head resting on the table.

"What's the matter with you?" I asked him quietly.

"I don't know."

Clarissa came back into the room, holding the phone out at us.

"It's your mother."


	4. Chapter 4

It was about 8 o'clock by the time we left the house and got down to the board walk. Archie left his bike where he had earlier.

"My god, I hate that woman." I pulled off my hoody as we walked along the side of the beach. Archie laughed. It was a Friday night so the board walk was full of locals and tourists alike. Like Archie had said there were bands playing on the beach, but our Dad wouldn't be seen dead playing with the hippies on stage. Bad choice of phrasing. Me and Archie laughed as we pushed passed the mass of hippies gathering on the beach, keeping an eye out for Archie's mates. As we were walking past one of the stalls someone grabbed me by the arm. I spun around and came face to face with the guy from the bookshop.

"Book Boy!" I grinned at him. He smiled at me. There were a group of people sat on the wall at the edge of the beach who I presumed he was with.

"You know most people just call me Devon. You guys busy tonight, or do you want a tour of the board walk?"

"Oh you mean both up _and _down?" I grinned at him. He laughed.

"Just for you." I looked around to see if Archie wanted to hang around for a bit, but he wasn't there. But Dwayne and David were.

"Hello Rebekah." I looked back round to Devon to tell him I was busy. He was staring at me. Some of the kids behind him were moving off.

"I've got to go." He pointed after his friends and looked down.

"Oh. Ok. Well me too. See you around?" He quickly looked back at David behind me and then left. "Bye." I said faintly as he walked off. Weird. I sighed and turned back round. "Fancy seeing you guys here. Have you seen my brother, per chance?" Dwayne smiled and slung an arm round my shoulders, twisting us slowly so we faced out on to the beach where the outdoor gig was still taking place. In the midst of the crowd, Paul, Marco, and Archie were jumping through the crowd, pushing against people and yelling at each other. I watched them, smiling, and then slunk out of Dwayne's arm. Bad move.

"Let's go." He grabbed my hand. Even though the sun was long gone the beach still radiated heat. I could feel it as I was dragged along. I tried to get him to let go but he pulled me further into the crowd after my brother and his deranged friends. I looked back helplessly, trying to see if there was anything I could grab hold of, cling on to. There was David. I really didn't want to use him as anchorage. And then he moved. This had to be the first time I'd seen him, I don't know, look like the rest of the boys. He had seemed more composed, mature...dangerous before. But now he was smiling. Well, grinning maliciously and pushing through the crowd too. As I got dragged along the beach I kept apologising to everyone we passed but despite myself I couldn't keep the grin of my face. I was happier than I had been in a while. And I was being yanked through a mass of people by a boy, with longer hair than me, that I had only just met, through a place I didn't want to be. Freaky Deaky.

We got to the other side of the crown. I ripped my hand out of Dwayne's, trying to look cross.

"Was that really necessary?" I barked, but that stupid grin remained, rendering the words meaningless. They looked over at each other.

"Yes."

"It was." I sighed. "Cheer up, princess." Dwayne nudged me as he passed over to Marco, Paul and Archie who were pissing around in the sand.

"Do you do this every night?" I looked at David, who was staring intently at the crowd. Archie was right, I did need to start making an effort. It wasn't like we were ever going home. I let out an inaudible sigh, trying to calm myself down. I looked down at the ground, biting my lip, waiting for his response. But he didn't answer. After a couple of minutes, to make sure he hadn't left and I was just standing on my own like a lemon, I looked up. His eyes were still on the crowd. "Thanks for walking me home last night, I think I'd have been lost on the board walk all night." I said softly, trying to make it sound like a joke. He then looked at me and I smiled nervously at him. David opened his mouth, about to say something when there was a blinding pain in my head and it all went a little dark.


	5. Chapter 5

I groaned and tried to roll over but there was a pair of hands holding my head. I squinted up into the steely eyes above me. I hummed and tried to reach up to the face. One of the hands holding my face gently took hold of the hand I was using to reach the face and forcefully moved it down to my side.

"She getting grabby?" Someone laughed. The eyes moved away from me and turned to stare at something else and then two shiny teeth flashed...little bright stilettos. I looked at them and laughed and then frowned.

"Ow."

"It's ok, Becks. You got hit on the head, by a bottle." I could hear a different voice. Marco?

"By a flying glass bottle." The sniggering continued.

"Archie?"

"He's just outside." Marco came closer, or his voice did.

"I should go..." I tried to get up.

"Rebekah." I looked up again until I recognised David's eyes.

"David." I laughed. "I need to go home."

"No babe." Someone else came over as David helped me up. His hands were icy on my sides as he steadied me. "We're off to a party." Dwayne grinned. I grinned back, and then stumbled. David's arms tightened round me. I could almost put up with the pain to have this. And where the hell were theses thoughts coming from?

"PARTY!" Paul dragged Archie inside with him, wherever inside was. Archie didn't look at me. He's probably made this out in his head to be my fault.

"Come on. Let's go!" Dwayne whined, pulling them back towards the entrance.

"Where are we?" I said. My voice sounded really shaky.

"Home." Archie said, his voice sounded weird too.

"What?" I faltered again, and reached up to my forehead, right next to my hair line. I could feel dried blood. "Oh." I looked up to see Archie driving off, following Dwayne and Paul. "Bye then." I muttered. Marco then pulled off around me. There was a cool breeze and I actually looked around to see where I was. We were on top of one of the cliffs you could see from the beach. I stood looking down at the flashing lights from the amusements and their reflections on the still sea. I smiled at it and then turned away. David was stood by his bike. "Party, huh?" I said softly. "Are we thinking there will be paracetamol?" David didn't say anything but got on the bike. Right, shutting up. I got onto the back of his bike. Oh god, the hands issue. Is it too weird to put my arms round him? I decided to go for hanging onto the handle at the back. He revved the engine and I slipped backwards. David stopped the bike and got off. Suddenly I was in front of him, as he reached around me to the controls and we set off once again. Someone had put my hoody back on but I could still seem to feel the coldness come through it, as if coming from David. But the boy was wearing a jumper and leather jacket, he couldn't be that cold. It must be the wind or something. As we drove along my head was getting worse and all I wanted to do was sleep.

O O ----- O O

"Rebekah." I could hear someone whispering at me. I opened my eyes, the pain coming back to my head. "Rebekah." I grabbed something and squeezed, my eyes still shut, as the pain washed through me. I looked up to see David stood looking at me.

"Sorry." I said, trying to hurry up and get off, stumbling slightly. I tried to catch a look of his face, but it didn't really show much expression.

I followed him into this old looking house, hidden away up a drive way just like Clarissa's, only more run down. There was pounding music as we went through the door, it was quite dark and the huge open plan ground floor was packed full of teenagers and college kids. I looked around for Archie. Doing this I managed to lose David as well. Oh dear. Some guy came up to me, grinning like an idiot, and thrust a plastic cup full of beer into my hand.

"HEY!" He grabbed me in a bear hug and then walked off. I laughed and looked around again and spotted Archie with Dwayne , Paul and some girls. I walked through the crowd to them.

"Beer?" Archie looked from my drink to me and back.

"I don't think they have anything else." I staged whispered.

"Drink it fast and you won't taste it." Dwayne titled the cup as I began to drink, so it was either down it or spill it everywhere. I shuddered as he took it away from me.

"I hate beer."

"Guys, I don't think they're meant to drink when they're like this." Marco tried to grab the cup of Dwayne, who was currently refilling it with some blue stuff. He then elbowed him out of the way.

O O ----- O O

Everyone was talking and drinking and laughing and I just stood with them, the pain in my head lessening slightly, but that may just have been the numbingness of the alcohol. I laughed and drank. Everything was becoming a bit fuzzy now and I was vaguely aware of Dwayne's arm around me. I looked up to see Archie staring at me and then him and Marco moving away.

"Archie?" I called after him. I went o go after him but Dwayne's arm tightened. I glared at him. "I need to go see my brother."

"Maybe he went outside?" He led me towards the back door. There were people stood in the doorway but beyond that it was pitch darkness.

"I don't think he's out here." I felt the pain in my head returning. "I think..." I pushed him away, and looked up to see him grinning. His face looked different. "Dwayne?" He moved towards me. His eyes looked yellow and I thought I saw his teeth flash in the dark. But that was stupid. There was growling and fast movement and I rested my head against the house's cold brick wall. David's eyes met mine. "David." I smiled up at him. "Did you see Dwayne...Archie?" I groaned putting my head back again. "I don't think this was such a good idea." I giggled and moved towards him. "Got that cigarette now?" I slipped my hand into his coat and round to the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out the pack, leaning up to him and kissing him. "And a lighter?" David suddenly pushed me against the wall. I wrapped my arms around his neck as his mouth moved with mine. He then bit down. I gasped and he pulled away. His eyes looked just like Dwayne's had. But my head was moving so fast and I could feel a cold wind on my neck. We were kissing again but I could taste metal. I was beginning to feel light headed again. I moaned, trying to push him off. I looked around and saw we were stood at the top of Clarissa's drive way. I was too drunk and concussed to think about it. I stumbled up the drive way a little and then grabbed at a tree, laughing I wrapped my arms around it. I rested my face on the rough bark looking back at David. He was still stood at the end of the drive. "Waiting for an invitation?" I giggled out, unwrapping myself from the tree and slowly moving back to him. He didn't say anything, or move for that matter. "Come on David." I murmured under my breath, too quietly for him to hear; or so I thought. I didn't know exactly what I was asking him to do, and I soon stopped trying to work that out as David seemed to spring through the darkness and we were both back at the tree. I moaned lightly against his lips and kissed him back, trying to keep up with his intensity. I pressed myself up against him as his mouth went down my neck. I wasn't looking forward for the bruise in the morning. Ugh the morning. Even through my extreme drunken state I knew I was going to feel like an idiot in the morning for acting like this. "David." I ground out. I was suddenly pressed harder into the tree, his mouth pressed against mine. It took me by surprise, my eyes flung open wide. I noticed his eyes were open too, staring at something. I peered round the side of the tree, his full body weight pressed against me. Clarissa's door was open and she was looking out. I was about to call out to her when David's hand grasped my throat hard, constricting my breathing and my voice. I started feeling sick, my head was spinning from the hit and I was dizzy from the alcohol. How the hell did I end up here? I faintly heard the door shut and David's eyes were on me again. I didn't think I wanted to do this anymore. He moved his hand away from my neck and replaced it with his lips. I grabbed hold of his coat.

"You really shouldn't have invited me." The tree seemed to shift under his force. I wrapped my legs around his waist. He pulled away and looked me straight in the face. His eyes were yellow and his brow had ridges along it. His teeth looked like...I opened my mouth to scream but he lunged at my neck and I stopped breathing. I let go of David and my vision went blank.


	6. Chapter 6

Archie watched the bike pull away from the out of the drive way. He then went back to concentrating on Dwayne's movements. After his fight with David in the garden Dwayne had begun to stalk other blood. He moved through the crowded house until he found what he was looking for. Paul was long gone, the body taken away for a long swim. Archie began to slowly follow Dwayne out in to the darkness.

In the garden of the house there was a large rope swing. On it sat a blonde girl, numerous empty bottles littered the floor around her. She sat there sobbing. Archie watched as Dwayne moved closer. He watched as the college girl looked up at him. He watched as she screamed as he flew at her. She was flung off the swing and dragged off into the dark. Archie could smell the blood. Her blood.

"It's a lot more fun after the first time." Marco came to stand behind him. "You sure you're not hungry?" Archie groaned. His breathing was laboured. He could feel his blood seem to throb through his veins...was it even his blood anymore?

O O ----- O O

I couldn't summon the strength to open my eyes. I tried to stretch. Everything seemed to ache, really badly. I rolled my head to the side and there was a sudden sharp pain. I gasped. This was too much of a hangover. Everything was still so dark. Were my eyes even open? I tried to concentrate. David. I began to breathe deeper. I slowly moved my hand to my neck. It hurt. I forced my eyes open. The shutters were closed, so I had no idea of what time it was. I panicked. I jumped out of bed and started rummaging through my clothes that had been left on the floor, trying to find the phone that I had left in my pocket. I didn't remember getting undressed. I grabbed my shorts and pulled the phone out of the back pocket. There were three missed calls. Two from Clarissa and one from Archie. Archie. I ran out of my room straight across to his. I slammed open his door. He wasn't there. His room was a tip. There were clothes and books thrown everywhere and the couple of posters he had put up had been ripped. I started to ring him but Clarissa came in behind me, making me jump and dropping the phone on the floor.

"Well, there you are." She smiled at me. "I thought you'd never get up." I smiled slightly back at her, shaking my head so my hair would fall over my neck, covering it from sight.

"How long have I been out?"

"Two days." I nearly stopped breathing...again. "Some party huh? I didn't hear you come in but there you were in the morning, flat out in bed. I didn't want to wake you." She looked me over, probably taking in my dishevelled appearance.

"Sorry." I mumbled. "Where's Archie?" She looked away.

"You just missed him. He's going to meet those friends of his." She moved closer to me. "I think he's having a hard time Rebekah." I looked away and mumbled something. "Still...would you like a drink or something to eat?" I frowned. I felt dead. Stammering, I managed to force out an excuse.

"I think I'm just going to get a shower and head out. If that's ok?" She just smiled and left the room. I grabbed my towels and went into the bathroom. As the water poured down on me I tried to clear my head. What had happened with David? I could remember it all. It didn't make any sense though. It can't have happened. And yet it had. I remembered his eyes. And the feeling while he...my hand flew out to keep my balance. I leant against the wall. Were they all like that? And Archie was with them right now. I shut the water off and wrapped a towel round myself and my hair. I went over to the mirror and looked at my face. I had dark circles under my eyes and my skin was paler than usual. I guess blood loss would do that to you. I twisted my head to the side slightly. My neck had a bruise on it. It looked like a hell of a slag tag, but if you looked closer you could see two punctures of the skin. I stoked it lightly, and swallowed. I drew my eyes away from the mark and got out my make up. Concealer solves everything. I quickly dried my hair and I was about to stick it up in a pony tail but quickly caught a glimpse of my reflection and tugged it back down, running my fingers through it. I slung on a pair of jeans and a purple long sleeved shirt, grabbed my bag and headed down stairs. I heard Clarissa busying away in the kitchen and so I went and stuck my head round the door. "I'm just going to head out." I smiled and left.

As I headed into town I got my phone out of my bag. I rang Archie's phone. It kept going to voicemail. I gave up by the time I had got to Santa Carla town. As I got closer to the boardwalk I began to panic. I hadn't actually thought through how I was actually going to find them.

"Oi! England!" I spun round quickly. Devon was stood there with two teenagers, a boy and a girl/ they all had board shorts and hoodies on, their hair wet.

"Hey." I smiled, walking over to them, keeping a look out for Archie or the others.

"What you doing down here, all alone?"

"I was looking for my brother. I think he might be with those guys, you know the ones you saw him with before? You don't know them do you?" The two teenagers I didn't recognise began talking between themselves. Devon looked away and I cocked an eyebrow. "Well I'm off to find them. I'll see you around I guess."

"Wait." I looked at him. "It's just that you really don't want to be hanging around with those guys. They're..."

"Crazy." The girl spoke, her hand lacing through the other boy's hand. I looked at them. They reminded me of the iconic Californian kids you see on television; tanned with bleached blonde hair. I sighed.

"Yeh well, I need to find my brother." I gave them a small wave and walked off.

"I'll go with you." A voice said behind me. Devon had left his friends and we walked around the boardwalk in silence for a while. "It's Rebekah, right?"

"Becky." I looked at him and he smiled.

"Well. I know you're trying to find your brother. But you know, you're welcome to hang out with me...well us." He nodded his head back in the direction we had come from.

"Thanks." I looked up at him. He seemed nice...and normal.

"Yeh. I mean, you missed the surfing and barbeque on the beach today." I forced out another smile. Oooh water sports.

"Do you know where they usually hand out?" He looked at me confused.

"Who?"

"Those guys." I sighed. This was useless. We were nearing the end of the board walk, coming ever closer to the cliffs. I looked over onto the sand.

"You know Becky. Those guys really aren't the sort of people you should..."

"There they are." I pointed over to the beach. They were all moving over to a group of people sat around a fire. I began to head over to them, my speed decreasing to closer I got. I really didn't want to see him again. But I had to get Archie out of there. I turned round to Devon. He hadn't followed.

"I really don't think you should go over there." I looked pleadingly at him. I turned back quickly when I heard shouting coming from where the boys had been. The other guys were all staring over at me, and Archie was making his way over.

"You need to get out of here." He sort of...growled at me as he got closer.

"Smartest thing I've heard all day." Archie pushed passed Devon, his arm around me.

"Shut up." I looked up at Archie, and then back over my shoulder. I mouthed a sorry back at Devon.

"What's the matter with you Archie?" He ignored me, hurrying us both back to the parked bike. "Archie something happened after the party the other night." He got onto the bike. "Archie!" He revved the engine. I sighed, getting on to the back of it. He drove at speed back to the house. He herded me back in. Clarissa was half way down the hall when I opened the front door.

"You're back." She beamed. "Wonderful. Well, I'm off to bed. Good night dears." She carried on and up the stairs. Archie looked out of the door before shutting it, pulling the bolt across.

"Archie. There's something I really need to tell you."

"Do you want to watch a film or something?" He began to pull me upstairs.

"What's the matter?" He turned at the top of the stair case.

"You were right. We shouldn't see those guys again." He then went into his bedroom. "Too dangerous." I heard him muttering. I followed.

"I never said that." He looked up from a tray of DVDs he was searching though.

"Sure you did." He smiled. "You're right. Muppet Treasure Island?" He held up the DVD case. I grinned. Everything was going to be fine.

"I'll just get changed."

"I'll get the popcorn." I went to my room, grinning.

O O ----- O O

I lay on Archie's bed, nursing the bowl of burnt popcorn as Tim Curry got hoisted up onto a giant muppet's shoulders. Archie lay next to me. I elbowed him and generally shoved the bowl in his direction, but he shook his head.

"You burnt it, you should have to suffer too." He snorted and took a handful. I carried on watching the film. My eyes were getting heavier. I began to lose concentration and relaxed back into his pillows. I fell asleep happy. I had my brother back.

O O ----- O O

I knew it was a dream. Everything seemed a little bit brighter. Dream me squinted slightly at the sun. Dream me was stood on the board walk. It was empty. All the stalls were empty and the rides were still. The sea was still. Dream me looked around. Behind me the scene was completely different. The board walk was packed. All the stalls were packed and the rides were rushing around. But I couldn't hear any of it. Devon and his friends were stood looking at me. I walked over to them, but I couldn't. There was something stopping me from getting to them. I could feel someone stood behind me. I turned quickly but whatever had been there moved quickly. Stood at the far end of the deserted board walk stood David, Paul, Marco and Dwayne. Dream me began walking towards them. They looked wrong in the daylight. As I moved closer to them I could see a dark hole in the ground. The boys parted letting me go look in the hole. Archie was there. I stared. Cold arms wrapped around me. I leant back into those arms. Everyone else disappeared. David moved his head down to my neck. He was resting his head against it. We were stood on the top of the cliffs.

"Are you lost?" David's fangs sank into my neck and as he held on to me, one hand held my head and the other wrapped around my lower abdomen. I looked forward. Dwayne, Paul, Marco and Archie were all stood there.

"We are."


	7. Chapter 7

The bright light was what woke me. Archie must have forgotten to close the shutters.

"Morning shit head." I grinned, sitting up. But the room was empty. As if he'd already got up. I looked over to his alarm clock, but it was covered with something. I reached out and grabbed it, knocking over a handful of popcorn as I did. I frowned and unfolded the piece of paper that had been blocking the clock.

'_Love you Becks'_

Shit. I jumped out of bed and looked out of the window. Both Clarissa's car and Archie's bike were gone. I grabbed my phone and began to try and ring Archie as I got dressed. It was switched off. I pulled my hair back and left the house. I was heading down to town. I know where they would be. I thought. Those cliffs. I just didn't know how to get there. I had been unconscious the first time, and a little bit busy the last. I figured someone on the board walk would tell me how to get there...hopefully. It was still early when I got down to Santa Carla. It was really quiet. Everyone was already at work by now but it was still too early for all the kids enjoying their last weeks of freedom of the summer holidays. I felt sort of numb as I got to the sea front. I could see the cliffs. There was no breeze and the sea was so still. It was really eerie. I walked up the only bit of Santa Carla I knew. A couple of shops were stilled closed. I went further on, further away from the place I least wanted to be and the place I most needed to get to.

The first open shop I came to was a video shop, a neon covered blockbuster affair. I went inside. I hated asking shop assistants for anything, I always made Archie or one of my friends do it. But now it was just me.

"Hi." The girl at the desk looked up at me surprised. "I know this is a daft question. But you couldn't tell me how to get to the cliff tops from here, could you?" I forced out my friendliest smile.

"Sure." She leant across the till at me. "You need to head out of town and then up until you get on to the east coast road. It's like a twenty minute drive and then you need to take a right left and you're basically there."

"Drive? I don't suppose you know how long it would take to walk?"

"I wouldn't try and walk it sugar." I felt my heart drop. " I mean, if you're that desperate to have a look at them, you could always get a cab." I murmured. Right, so now I had to find one. "You want me to call one for you?" I clearly wasn't hiding my lost attitude very well.

_**Are you lost?**_

I nodded at her.

"Thanks." She just smiled as she went over to another part of the till and picked up the phone.

"It'll be in her in ten." She smiled and then moved over as some more people entered the shop. I didn't take any notice of them. Ten minutes seemed such a long time to wait. I needed to get to Archie. I needed to warn him about David.

I stood at the open door of the shop trying to remain calm. The taxi pulled up on the street and sounded its horn. I walked quickly out to it and slipped into the back. I hated getting taxis on my own.

"Where you going?" He looked at me through his rear view mirror.

"Erm," I stammered. "The cliff tops, please?" He didn't say anything, just drove off down the street. We swerved through the streets of Santa Carla to get back to the top road, driving away from the shops, the board walk and Clarissa's house.

"There used to be a hotel on those cliffs; a real fancy one supposedly." The taxi driver looked back at me. I made interested noises. I really wished that he would watch the road, not me. "But after the quake in San Francisco, well turns out those cliffs are dead on the fault line too, and the hotel just disappeared into them cliffs." I didn't have to pretend to sound interested at that. That would be where they would be. Inside the cliffs. "It's creepy, don't you think?" The driver was facing the road once again. The rest of the journey was quiet. The road didn't stop at the cliffs. It went passed and onwards, up the coast of California. He pulled up on the side of the road. The edge of the cliffs were still a little bit away. I walked around to his window, getting my purse out of my bag. But he wasn't looking at me, he was staring off at something closer to the cliff edge. I looked too. "Just keep your money." He shifted the car and drove off. I stared as he disappeared and then went over to see what he had seen. I wish I hadn't.

I'd never seen a dead body before. We hadn't even been allowed in to see our dad. I felt sick looking at it. I don't know where people get the notion of rest in peace from. It didn't look peaceful. It just looked empty. It smelt weird and it was the oddest colour I had ever seen a person. It was gray, apart from around the neck and the stained white camisole. There were rust coloured stains from dried blood, and there was dirt all over the legs and denim skirt. I then felt even worse, mentally kicking myself for being so selfish. I didn't feel sick because of the dead body. I felt it because I knew a couple of nights ago that could have been me. At the side of the cliff were a set of wooden stairs surrounded by barbed wire. I left the body and headed down.

O O ----- O O

The wind had picked up and the waves were now lashing up against the cliffs. I stood at the mouth of the cave, or was it the door of the hotel? It took me so much to force myself inside. But I had to get my brother back. I vaguely remembered the cave, but looking at it from the entrance with the Californian sun shining in made it look so much different. I couldn't see anyone in the first part of the cave. There were niches cut out of the wall with material draped over them. There were posters on the walls. There was a marble covered decorative pool in the centre, the only real hint that this had been part of the hotel, along with what looked like the remnants of the hotel's reception desk. It was half submerged in the floor and covered in cans and bottles and empty food cartons, as was the floor. Did vampires need to eat and drink? Oh god, vampires. It shouldn't be real. I felt so sick. There were two doors at the back. One was half hinged and the other was boarded over. I started over there. I moved passed the pool. There was something perched on the side of it. I looked closer. It was Archie's phone. So he was here. Why had he brought him here? I then stopped. He had come here. He had come on his new bike, in his sunglasses. He'd come here after spending all night out. I slammed the door open. In the corridor there were more doors off, the hotel rooms presumably. The floor was smashed up, parts were pushed up against the wall where the quake had pushed them, and there were huge gaping cracks. Above the tops of the doors was a suspended balcony that ran all the way down the corridor, both sides. There were many parts missing, only parts of the railings remaining in places. David was stood on a bit of the remaining part. He had his back to me and was staring into the open door of one of the rooms on that floor. I bent down and picked up an empty beer can off the floor. It threw it at him, aiming at his head. If I hadn't just cracked I would have found the initial expression on his face hilarious.

"You've killed my brother!" I screamed at him, picking up another bottle off the floor and chucking it. "You've turned him into one of you." I sobbed the last word out. I looked up at him as I picked up a third thing to chuck. He flew at me, down from the balcony, pushing me up against the wall behind me. I tried to push him off me but he just remained there, his body coming ever closer to mine. He then cocked his head to the side and moved down towards my neck, as though breathing it in.

"My, my, Rebekah, what a thing to put on show." I quickly turned my head, trying to hide the scar that was forming there.

"Get off me." I hissed at him.

"What a change of attitude." His voice was low and he was looking directly at me.

"Where's Archie?" I tried to sound as threatening as him, but I couldn't. I don't think anyone could.

"He's up there." I tore my gaze away from David and up to the room he had been standing outside of. Archie was stood in the doorway. He had blood stains down his white shirt and his mouth was really red. And his eyes...

"You." I pushed passed David. I knew deep down I was only able to do that because he let me. "You were just going to leave me."

"I..."

"No. You were just going to leave me alone with Clarissa and with Mom..."He didn't say anything. "How could you?" My voice was really quiet now. There was a snigger from down the corridor. I snapped my head around. Dwayne was stood in the middle of the corridor, Paul was leant against the door I had come from and Marco stood in a doorway behind Dwayne. I had to get out. I hurried out of the corridor, Paul moving away to let me through.

David was in front of me when I got back into the first part of the cave. He looked deadly. I went o move round him but he stepped in my way.

"Let me go." He grabbed me by my shoulders and thrust his lips to mine. The kiss was bruising and I had to grab hold of David to remain upright. I didn't understand. I then felt fangs beneath his lips and then heard him laughing against me. He pulled away and carried on laughing as I ran away, out into the light.

O O ----- O O

Back on the cliff top I held back the tears. The dead girl was still there. I stood by myself, looking out at the sea. I'd never been by myself, not really. And now I was. I began to walk along the raod I had been brought here with.

It was taking ages to get back and it was giving me too much time to think. I could hear vague music playing from a car stereo way behind me so I moved onto the grass verge so it could go passed. It didn't. I sighed and looked over. In the red 1950's convertible behind me sat a grinning Devon.

"Hey Becky." I smiled at him and went over. "Having a fun walk?"

"Not really." I forced out a laugh.

"You need a ride?" He leant over and opened the passenger side door.

"Thanks." I slipped in next to him. "Nice car." He had restarted the engine. It growled into life.

"Yeh it makes me cool." I laughed and then looked at him.

"Erm...I mean, yes. Yes it does." Devon laughed too.

"You want me to take you home?" I sat in silence for a moment and then nodded. "And then maybe pick you back up again at half seven?" He kept his eyes on the road. I looked at him.

"Yes." What?!

"I mean you don't have to, I unders...yes?"

"Yes." Revenge's a bitch. He looked over at me and winked.

"Well then. We're off to this club. It's like twenty dollars to get in but it's the best thing in town." I grinned but he was being deadly serious.

"Sounds cool." Did it?

"Will...will Archie becoming?"

"Doubt it." The rest of the car journey was spent in silence. I'd like to have said it wasn't awkward but it was. It seemed like ages but he eventually pulled up Clarissa's driveway.

"So seven thirty?"

"Seven thirty." I smiled at him and went into the house.

"Archie rang." Clarissa's voice seemed to echo around the hallway as I shut the front door. I quickly clasped a hand to my neck as she came out of the kitchen, covered in flour. "He said to say hi." She smiled. "Apparently he's gone camping with his friends this week."

"Awesome." I mumbled as I started up the stairs.

"They're going a bit up the coast." She continued. I vaguely muttered something back, trying desperately to get up the stairs to be alone. She stood looking at me, her eyes searching for something. "Were you not invited?"

"No." I was tired of being polite and left her stood there.

O O ---- O O

Archie jumped down from the balcony. He didn't even stumble as he landed. Next to his feet were the beer cans Becky had thrown. Archie picked one up and balanced it on his hand. He could still feel some of the warmth left by his sister this morning. He smashed it against the wall of his new home. Dwayne began to make howling noises through in the cave. Archie went to meet his brothers.

O O ----- O O

Devon parked the car behind the huge grey building.

"My brother worked here last summer so the owner lets us park here." Smiling seemed to be the appropriate response to this unthrilling statement. I got out of the car, smoothing my top down as a stood up. "The entrance is just round the other side."

"It's in there?" It came out more disgusted than I intended.

"It used to be a warehouse." Devon wrapped an arm around me waist, directing me towards his friends. "Sup guys." They talked between themselves as we queued. Devon's arm remained where it was.

O O ----- O O

Archie smelt something familiar was the boys came into the car park. He noticed David's head snap up too.

"Grubs up." Paul snickered as he and Marco headed to the door at the back of the club. There were two men in security outfits smoking outside the door. They looked up when they heard the footsteps crossing the concrete.

"Hey. You guys aren't supposed to be back here." One of them said. Marco and Paul dove at them as Dwayne wrenched the locked door open. The noise of the music drowned out the screams of the two men as their blood splattered against the outside walls and their now lifeless bodies were dragged off. David walked in, followed by Dwayne and Archie.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Just a quick note. Thank you loads for the people that messaged me about the stories. They were really unexpected buy lovely :) I'm really sorry i didn't upload for ages but here it is now, lots of fun to write as it gave me a break from Monks and Romans. Bad times xoxo.**_

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Wow it's dark in here." I regretted saying it as soon as the words left my mouth.

"Well, yeh, it's a club." Bitch. The girl brushed past Devon exceedingly closely. He laughed at her.

"Come on, let's go get a drink." I glared back at the girl. I could be a bitch too. The bar was long and silver. We went up and waited, I leant up against the bar pressing my arms together beneath my chest. If there was one thing I knew it was how to get the attention of barmen. "You want a redbull?" Devon stood with his wallet out.

"We adding vodka?" I grinned at him.

"Not unless you have a stamp." The barman I had spent so long luring over drawled out.

"Sure." I mumbled. I was suddenly pulled backwards.

"I'll give you a stamp. Dwayne yelled in my ear. I screeched, my eyes wide in shock. Dwayne laughed. Devon and his friends at the bar did not look impressed. A couple of them were moving further up the bar, away from us. Dwayne released me and pushed me back over to Devon, winked and walked off into the dark dance floor. I grinned slightly, but stopped hurriedly as Devon looked at me.

"I thought you said they weren't coming." He didn't sound happy.

"I didn't know." The guy put two glasses down the bar. If Dwayne was here were they all here? I tried to look through the darkness to see if I could spot them. I highly doubted they were here to soak up the atmosphere. I grabbed hold of Devon's arm. I'd never been the squeamish type before but I had a flash back to that girl. Archie. Devon grabbed hold of me.

"Careful." He smiled and helped me over to a table. There were only a few chairs around it and already there were people having to stand. Devon put my drink down. "Wait here." I looked at him. He was looking over to the next table. "Micky!" He went over and did the whole man hug thing. I watched helplessly. I was about to attempt to make conversation with some of his friends but the girl from before caught my eye. If looks could kill...

"Looks like you're having a lot of fun." His voice. I looked behind me. David stood looking into the crowd.

"Plenty, thank you very much for your concern." I snapped, trying to move further away from him.

"Lying's a bad thing Rebekah."

"So's killing people." I turned to face him now. He smirked. It was like being in a film, my knees went weak at that simple action.

"Mmm surf Nazis, my favourite."

"You stay away from them." I pushed my finger against his chest. I wished I hadn't. I don't know what had happened. He moved his head closer to mine.

"Or what?" His gloved hand came to rest on my neck. He twisted it to the side. My hair fell away from my neck. "Tell me to stop."

"Becky?" I vaguely heard Devon's voice. There was that smirk again and then he was gone. A hand waved in front of my face. I looked around. Devon was stood there. I felt so angry. At myself. At David. At Archie. Just generally pissed off.

"You want to dance?" I wrapped myself around him. He grinned and we went out onto the dance floor. My twin was a vampire. People were going to die. And I was gyrating in the middle of a dark dance floor ina vain attempt to irritate a platinum blond blood sucker...priorities right?

O O ----- O O

I didn't see any of them for the rest of the night. I didn't even know if they were still around. Everyone else seemed to having a good time though. Devon kept smiling at me as he talked to his friends. Or our friends? Was I supposed to be friends with them now? I don't think I've ever hated Archie before. I mean there been times when he's pissed me off and I think I once tried to punch him when he pulled the leg off of my Barbie horse. But I've never hated him as much as him leaving me on my own. I kept looking down at my phone. It was nearly half one. This none drinking thing was taking its toll. My feet were killing and I was tired. _Life of the party._

" You want to leave?" I jumped from my day dream as Devon's face came to be directly in front of mine.

"Would you take me home too Devon?" I didn't even have to look up to guess who's sickly sweet voice that was. I smiled at him and murmured my agreements from leaving.

It was cold outside. Devon went ahead to his car, she followed after him, her heels breaking the silence of the night. I walked slowly behind them.

"Hey!" I heard Devon yell from further away. "Get out of my car!" I saw him run over to it, the girl following. She screamed. I frowned and ran over to them. I felt sick. In the back of Devon's car were two men. They were covered in blood. Their throats looked like they had been ripped out. They had been propped up in the back seats and their eyes just stared. And I knew who had done it.

I like to think my dad would have been proud that at some point in my life I got taken home in a police car. I don't think he'd be so chuffed that it was from a murder scene that his son and friends had most likely set out. The policeman tried to talk to talk to me on the way home but I was having none of it. At the station everything had gone so quickly, they seemed so well practised...none of them seemed too fazed. I wished I'd never come to Santa Carla.

O O ----- O O

I woke up to hear Clarissa's car leave the driveway. I felt more tired now then I had been last night. Ii reached for my phone to see what time it was. I scrambled for it in the dark the window shutters barring the light. I had switched it off last night. Something I didn't normally do but who was realistically going to call me stuck in this hell hole. Three people apparently. Well three missed calls, from two different numbers and one voicemail. Someone's popular. Two of the calls were from Devon, as was the voicemail, checking to see how I was and inviting me down to the board walk this afternoon. The other was from Archie. I stared at my phone for a couple of seconds and then cleared it. I slowly got out of bed to open the shutters. I stood looking out of the window. There were bright blue skies outside, the sun was already warming everything up. Looking at the peacefulness outside I don't think I'd ever felt so detached and alone.

O O ----- O O

Devon had called again after lunch to see if I was coming out. I really wanted to scream no at him, slam down the phone and hide away in my room forever. It was his stupid fault, everything had gone wrong since I met him. Well that was a little untrue but... However I kept those thoughts to myself and told him I'd meet them at three.

I ended up leaving Clarissa's house at half three. Time keeping had never been my forte especially when I didn't want to go. Clarissa was pulling up in the driveway as I was locking up the house. She smiled at me.

"Going anywhere fun?"

"Nope. Just the board walk."

" Well, be careful." I just smiled at her and headed down to the town. If I was being careful I don't think I'd be living in Santa Carla any longer.

O O ----- O O

The day spent at the board walk was as thrilling as the previous night, minus the dead bodies.

"I think I'm going to need therapy for like, forever." I sat watching the girl. Her face reminded me of the girl's on the top of the cliff tops, dead behind the eyes. Everyone else seemed to murmur their agreement. She then stared at me. I wanted to stand up and run far away from her and her friends. I had been waiting for this all afternoon, and as the sun began to dip in the sky she struck. " You know, it probably had something to do with your brother and the freak he hangs out with."

"No it didn't." That was a lie.

"Oh please. You may not have been here long but we have and everyone knows that there is something wrong with those...people."

"My brother may be many things but he is not a killer." That was a lie too.

"Becky, she does kinda have a point... I mean it's not your fault." I stared at Devon. Bastard. "Maybe we should get going, yeh?" He took hold of my hand from where I was sitting to help me up. I snatched it back.

"Can we stop by Max's on the way? Mom wanted me to pick something up for movie night." One of the guys said, getting up.

"Movie night? Nice on bra." Someone else laughed. I hadn't bothered to learn names this time. I got myself up, ignoring Devon, and picked up the jacket I'd been sat on. As I brushed it off something fell out.

"I didn't know you smoked." I looked up at Devon, confused.

" I don't." I then looked to the ground. There was a fag packet. It was the same one as I had taken from David when...

_You really shouldn't have invited me._

I felt sick and giddy all at once. I knew I shouldn't but I did. "I think we should go now." I murmured quietly.

I followed them up the front, along the main shops until we got to the video shop. It was beginning to get dark out, the sun had just gone down and the neons in the shop beamed. I hadn't noticed them before. The group split up to mooch around the shop. I saw the girl that had given me the directions the other day. I smiled at her.

"Did you get there fine?" I went over to the till. There was a man stood at the other side of the till in front of a computer with a clip board.

"Yeh. Thanks for your help."

"No problem sugar. What did you think of the cliff tops then?"

"Exciting." I laughed. The man behind her had stopped what he was doing.

"A strange place to want to go see." He said. I looked over to him.

"Yeh. It wasn't as fun as I thought it would be." Understatement of the century.

"It's dangerous up there." I smiled at him.

"I heard about the earth quake." His attention moved from me. I looked over my shoulder. That sick giddy feeling returned. David was stood in the door way. He and the man at the till were staring each other down.

"Can I help you?" The guy sounded angry. I guess David has that effect on people. I was shocked when both men turned their gaze to me.

"Just a family visit."


	9. Chapter 9

"Becks..." Archie was stood right next to me. I jumped.

"Out." The man at the tills voice rose, almost to a snarl. It was if all the boys flinched at once. I felt Devon's hand on the small of my back. The boys were moving away from the shop, disappearing into the darkness along the boardwalk. David had already gone. He must have left straight away. Big bad vampire scared of the shop keeper.

"Freaks." I looked behind me at Devon and his friends. It all felt so stupid. These were the kind of people I loathed at school, so why was I clinging to them so much now?

I knew the answer to that...because the alternative was so much worse.

Conversation began to flow again as Devon's friends went back to choosing their dvds. I took a last look into the darkness of the night outside. A fleeting glance. It was all I dared to do. But it wasn't enough. I still couldn't work out if the real danger was lurking out in the shadows or raiding the shops shelves.

O O ----- O O

We'd stayed there for another half hour or so. The girl had left, and the man who had seen off the boys previously stood by the counter. I could have sworn he was watching me but I knew I was just being daft. I had worked myself up into paranoid frenzy clearly. Devon's car was still with the police after the whole dead body incident. He did offer to walk me back to Clarissa's though. I didn't take him up on it and then regretted it the entire way back. Nothing happened but there was the constant, nagging feeling that it might. The night seemed so still. I knew deep down that I wished it had been interrupted.

Once I got back I sat with Clarissa for a while. She was in the living room, reading. One of the weird books Archie and I had mocked before. I had one of my own resting in my lap, but my mind was too busy to concentrate on character's lives on the page. The room was suffocating. I was surrounded by the huge windows that led out into the garden but they were barred by those bloody great big wooden shutters. I knew what was out there now, and I knew that those wooden barriers would not stop them.

I waited until Clarissa put her book down and went to bed. I sat in the gloom of the living room. I still couldn't get over the events of the past few weeks. I had known coming over wasn't going to be any fun. I went up to my own room. It was pitch dark in the room as I opened the door. The light from the landing spilled in through the door. It made a path way, cutting across the floor to the window at the far side. I carefully shut the door, pausing by my bed to turn on the lamp. I had nearly had all my blood drained by a vampire and yet I was still afraid of the monsters in the dark. I moved around the bed, picking up one of the pillows on the way. I carried on across the room until I reached the window. I undid the latch keeping the two wooden doors shut and carefully push them both back against the wall. The whole of the window seat was now exposed. I sat down on it. It seemed like hours as I just sat staring out into the darkness.

O O ----- O O

Archie knew the man in the shop. He knew who he was and how much power he had under his control. Which was why he had been so puzzled to see him at the boardwalk in such a position. Even though he was still new to all of this undead stuff he knew the reaction of the other guys meant trouble. David has left them on the boardwalk. After a quick bite to eat...bite...they went looking for him. Marco led the way along with Paul. Dwayne pulled Archie close as the moved through the thinning crowd on the boardwalk. Each of their bodies pulsating with their life's essence that Archie was now so much more aware of. The heat.

"We're off to see Daddy." Dwayne hissed in his ear. And Archie knew that Daddy would not be happy. It had surprised him when he first found out David was not the leader of the pack, as much as it appeared so. The older man, the owner of the video store, the one who had first turned the blond vampire, he was who they answered to now. Max. The remaining boys mounted their bikes and began the journey from the sea front.

As they neared their destination the wind picked up. The speed they were travelling was death defying, but so were they. Fang's howls mixed with the wind as did the taunting growls from their missing brother. They were near enough to see him now. Stood by the fence surrounding the house, he stood looking down on the albino hell beast, his mouth open slightly, teeth bared at the animal that was mirroring him from the other side of the gate. Archie began to get off the bike but was pushed back by Paul, a smirk playing on his face, moving his glance from Archie back to where David was.

The howling stopped. On the other side of the fence stood Max. He beckoned David to join him. David kept his insolent air as he jumped the wooden fence, ignoring the gate. He kicked out at the dog who whimpered and scurried off back into the house ahead of his master. Neither of the men said anything. They both walked into the house. An unsuitable setting for what was to come next.

Dwayne moved closer to the fenced borders of the house. There was a gleam in his eye that Archie recognised from the hunt.

"Now what happens?" He looked across at Marco, who's head had suddenly whipped round to face the window at the front of Max's house. No one answered Archie. He would soon enough see for himself. The wind was now like a gale whipping between the boys and smashing into the walls of the building in front of them. Archie couldn't see properly and the storm stole a lot of the voices from inside. But there was enough left to piece together what was happening. Through the window Archie and the other guys could see the flurry of black leather clad body being flung around the room. They could hear the snarls and growls from the battling males. Numerous choice words were being bounded around, some escaping the winds grasp.

A Family...Some One To Miss Them...Death Wish...Idiotic.

These were accompanied by load crashes, the smashing of glass and every so often a yelp of pain. Archie's body tingled. He felt a sudden pang race through him, making him feel stuck between the two worlds. He felt sick, thinking about his sister. How much he missed her and how whenever he saw her now he could only think of cutting her throat, their same shared throat, and making her part of the family once again. He also felt a deeper urge to carry on watching what was in front of him, the violence and darkness that he was now a part of.

Archie vaguely recognised the noise of a bike engine starting up. Then another one. It wasn't until a power arm smacked him in the chest that he was brought out of his trance.

"We gotta roll Archie boy. He's coming." Archie knew that however much he had enjoyed watching it he would not like to bear witness to the outcome of the fight between father and son. He thrust his foot down on the starter of his bike and followed the others, the sick feeling remaining.

It made it even worse as they passed the drive way to his Aunt's house. Archie looked up as they drove passed, running from the danger behind them. There was a light on in her room. A single light. Archie knew he could climb up there and see her. Explain to her it would be alright. But as he looked at that light something moved above it. A figure swung down from the roof and grasped at the window, blocking the light from the outside world entirely. Archie growled but kept on going, the image of the leather trench coat and platinum blond hair sliding in through her bedroom window clouding his mind.

O O ----- O O

I woke up to a cold draught on my face. My head was sore from resting it on the glass all night. It took a while for me to realise where I was and then I began to curse my stupidity. It took me a little longer than that for it to occur to me that I had not left my window open. The shutters yes, but not the window. I got up from the window seat and looked around my room. Everything seemed to be in place. I shivered and shut the window.

Rummaging through my wardrobe, I pulled on a pair of jeans and a plaid shirt and painted my face with powder. Spending the night pressed against glass clearly did not do much for the dark circles under my eyes. I then ran a brush through my hair and head downstairs, trying to remain as normal and calm as possible, keeping an eye out as I went.

Clarissa was sat with a bowl of cereal at a table in the kitchen. This took me by surprise.

"You're up early dear." Clarissa sounded as surprised as I felt. I looked up at the clock on the kitchen wall. It was only half past seven. "I was about to come and speak to you." She smiled. And yes, I did realise how lucky I had been that she had not seen my window open. "I've just received a call from work and I'm going to have to go out of town for a few days. I did try and reason with them, but you know how these beaurocrats are." She looked incredibly guilty. "I'm sorry to have to leave you like this. I tried to call your brother this morning but the call didn't seem to go through. Just the thought of you here alone...Perhaps you could take my car to where your brother is camping. I'm sure he wouldn't mind coming home a couple of days early, considering the circumstances." I tried my hardest not to snort at this comment. It was a little bit too late for him to come back now. There was a knock on the door. "The taxi already?" she looked panicked, getting up from the table quickly. I moved out of her way as she hurried passed me into the hall way. She picked up two bags as she went. I had been too busy scouting for vampires I had missed the luggage completely. She looked out of the stained glass window of the front door, opened it and then turned to me. "Please be careful." I stood by the open front door and watched the taxi pull out of the drive way. Now I really was alone.

O O ----- O O

I sat in the living room for over an hour, trying to decide what to do next. In this time all I had really achieved was making myself feel a little bit sick. I had only two options,

I could go and see if I could find Archie. Drive back up to that cliff top, hope that all dead bodies had been removed this time and then try and avoid being killed by blood thirsty demons. All the while knowing I was too late.

Or, I could call up Devon and associates and see if they wanted to come over. It would mean making the house feel less like a prison but then I would have to actually endure their presence.

All I knew was that I couldn't spend any longer in this house alone. It was giving me the creeps.


	10. Chapter 10

I'd sat in the car for a while, staring at the steering wheel. I knew how to drive a car. A real one that was, with a gear box in the middle and without various leavers and pulleys sticking out from beyond the wheel. I slammed my palm down on the wheel and sighed. I struggled against the seatbelt to get my phone from my bag. I went down my contact list but then pressed the home button and started from the top again.

Archie.

Before I could make the call my phone began to vibrate and blare out an old C C Adcock tune. It startled me but I answered it all the same. I tried my hardest to keep the glumness out of my voice. No need to drag anyone else into my horrifically freaky predicament.

"Mornin' Babe." Devon's cheeriness grated.

"Hi."

"About last night..."

Oooh, an apology. How refreshing.

"Just to let me know...well you know. You don't get to chose who your family are. I don't think you're a freak too." I imagined if anyone had been in the vicinity they would have seen my jaw drop like off of some kids cartoon. I searched for words. "So I wondered if you wanted to do anything today?" Excuses...excuses...I NEED AN EXCUSE.

"Well, actually, my aunts had to go away on business so I have to sort of house sit." I unclipped the seatbelt. "But you know, some other ti..."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously what?" I sighed, getting out of the car.

"She's gone out of town?" Grabbing my bag off of the front seat I slammed the car door shut.

"Yes Devon. She's gone to do some job or something."

"Awesome. I'll come and pick you up in like ten minutes."

"What?"

"Are you letting people know or shall I? We'll sort it when I get there. Laters Babe."

"Sorry, what?!" But he'd already hung up. God, had been painful. And mildly confusing. Although, as I thought about it the more I understood what he had been planning. An awesome house party. With keggers. I didn't know what keggers were exactly but I'm pretty sure they involved beer. And I don't care for beer. Now he's probably half way though inviting all his stupid bloody friends. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I considered kicking the car but although it would have made for an epic dramatic effect it may also have broken my foot. I leant back against the car and chewed my lip. Why couldn't I just put my foot down and tell him and his stupid party to just bugger off. I guess I ts always easier when you have someone on my side. Bloody vampires.

I could hear the phone ringing from inside the house. I pulled myself from my depressed stupor and rummaged for my keys. I had my head stuck in my oversized bag searching for them when I heard a car pull up beside me.

"Morning Mary Poppins." Perfect.

"Just looking for my keys." I mumbled, turning to face him. He was leant against a blue 4 x 4 in shorts, polo shirt and sunnies perched on his perfectly gelled hair. Straight out of some teen film fresh from Hollywood. Fun.

"Well you chariot awaits." He opened the passenger side door for me. I guess the machine would just have to answer the call.

"New car?"

"I couldn't stand to think of those dead guys in it." I looked over, watching him staring at the road ahead.

"Yeh. Dead guys suck."

O O ----- O O

The cavernous qualities of the old hotel meant that the slightest noise bounced off every wall and echoed through the corridors. The electronic pulses of the Beastie Boys' 'Sabotage' pushed further out into the crashing waves outside. Archie's eyes whipped open. He crashed around the dark room searching for his phone. He could hear his new 'brothers' yelling from beyond the walls. His hands clawed at the electronic devise.

"Yes?" He couldn't keep the animalistic growl from his voice.

"Archibald? I called your aunt's house and no one answered. Where are you and your sister? I..."

"Mum?"

O O ----- O O

My reasoning skills had left something to be desired. I sat in the front of Devon's shiny new car as he went to go pick up one of his friends, and his speaker system. I felt weird. I didn't feel like I knew Devon well enough to kick off with him and make me listen to me which. Which I knew completely contradicted me letting him throw a party at my house. And I hated it. I fiddled with the radio. I hoped I'd break something just out of spite.

"Hey Marsha." A guy climbed into the back as Devon opened the front door.

"Becky." Devon corrected him. Marsha. Nice.

"You know I don't think this is such a good idea. Can we not..."

"Are you kidding Babe? Free house...house party. It makes sense." He turned the ignition. "Plus everyone's invited now."

"Come on chicka, it'll be fun." The guy in the back laughed and the satisfying noise of a can being opened followed. But I couldn't enjoy it as I stared in disbelief at Devon. What a pig.

O O ----- O O

Music blared throughout the house. As did raised voices and laughter. We at least they were having fun. I'd tried to remove and hide all the breakables I could find, and locked away everything else. God bless Clarissa and her crazy shutters, I hoped they would keep the house standing. At the last count there about 20 kids here that I'd never met in my life and then 10 or so more that I knew very little. I stood by the door way of the living room watching people dance around the house. The floor was covered in dirt walked in from the garden, and more than one person had spilt drink and left it. A sticky mixture of beer and vodka. I sighed and staggered as two paralytic teenagers barged passed me into the hall way. I glared after them.

"Lighten up Babe. Have a drink." Devon grabbed my head and began pouring a can of lite American beer into my mouth. I pushed out at him, slamming his face with the heel of my palm.

"Don't call me Babe. Dick." I stormed away. I'd had enough. Maybe I had made the wrong decision this morning and that the alternative really wasn't as bad as I'd thought. I pushed passed bodies to get to the stairs, grabbing an unopened bottle of vodka that someone had balanced precariously on the end of the banister rail. The house was being turned into a flammable mess. At the top of the stairs were a couple in a state of undress trying to open the door to my room.

"Go HOME." I yelled at them, shoving my way passed them to get to my door, slamming it shut behind me. I unscrewed the lid to the bottle I'd collected earlier and took a mouthful. I hadn't drunk neat vodka in a while and it burnt down my throat. My throat. It was still very delicate from the other night. I pressed two fingers against my left temple and sat down on the side of my bed.

"Fun party Rebekah."

O O ----- O O

Slipping away quietly was apparently not the done thing in the vampire household.

He'd stood in the dark after the phone call had ended. Becks hadn't answered her phone to their Mum and nor the dozen half times he'd tried her afterwards. She didn't know anything. And there wasn't anything he could do to. The sun wouldn't set for another twelve hours. He went out into the hotel hobby and spent most of the day pacing round the room in pitch darkness. If his hear t was still beating it might have pounded right out of his chest by now. As the sun began to dip below the Californian waves outside, Archie took another look round the deserted room. He quickly began to climb up to the exit above. There was suddenly a hand around his ankle and he was brought rapidly to the ground and then swung. His body was slammed against the rough side of the cave. Dwayne grinned at him, his face millimetres away from his own. Behind him the rest of the boys stood. Archie had been pressed painfully against the wall until the details of where he was going were made public. Archie ran a hand over the stubbly fuzz on the top of his head as he saw the smirk grow on David's face as he had explained what was going on. Family strife. Another nail in the coffin in torturing the little girl.

O O ----- O O

David had gone on ahead, double standards much, as the guys rode towards Archie's Aunt's house. Archie was hoping he'd get there before him bit doubted he would.

David was nowhere to be seen as Clarissa's house came into view. The music could be heard from the road and young people were scattered about, drunk out of their little minds. Unprotected. Not a smart idea in Santa Carla. Neither was inviting perfect strangers to parties. But as the inebriated guy half way up the drive yelled out a slurred welcome to the boys who were they to turn down such an offer. Free roam. They rolled their bikes up the drive, parking behind a black Mercedes Ocean Drive. Dismounting, Dwayne chuckled at Archie.

"I think your Mommy beat you."

O O ----- O O

The bottle slipped from my hand as I jumped at the voice. Its contents sunk into the thick carpet below.

"Fuck." I stood quickly and turned to face him. David was sat on the window sill. His boot clad feet were resting on the cushions of the box seat, his elbows resting on his thighs and he smirked at me from across the room.

"Drinking again? Tut tut."

"What do you want David?" He didn't answer me, just jumped down gracefully and looked around my room. "I found something of yours." I watched him prowl around. I saw how his face moved at my comment and the glint in his eye. "Well as fun as this has been there's a part going on downstairs that I need to go back to..." I backed towards the door.

"Is that so?"

"Yes." I bit out. I couldn't keep the memory from the previous party coming to mind. He was stood in front of me now, the door directly behind me. I grasped the door knob. I knew I probably wouldn't get out in time, but I could try. He leant into me. It was weird to be this close to someone and not feel them breathing. I couldn't look him in the eye. It wasn't an awkward thing, it just didn't feel right. "David..." He moved even closer. His whole presence was threatening. I felt dizzy with an overwhelming need to both cry and...something else. His face lowered to mine and I tilted my head. Ice cold fingers clasped my neck. I shut my eyes and waited. I could feel the deathly chill of his skin as it neared mine.

O O ----- O O

"Mother. Chesington. Isabella. Hi." Archie did his best to put himself between his guardians and the chaos erupting in the house behind him. However, he knew deep down even vampire strength wasn't going to stop the chaos from erupting in front of him. But he was wrong.

"A house party?" His mother smiled.

"Why didn't you say, we would have brought something." His stepfather wrapped an arm round his mother's waist, slapped him on the back and moved passed him towards the house. Isabella followed in her parents footsteps, but not before turning a little further up the drive and winking at the boys stood behind him.

"I like em easy." Dwayne drawled out.

"NO." Archie's voiced boomed round the outside of the house. "You can't go in there." He yelled after the disappearing figures of the adults. He turned back to the boys. "They can't go in there." Ignoring his panic Dwayne, Marco and Paul walked past Archie up the drive was eyeing up preety girls for breakfast. "YOU CAN'T GO IN THERE." He yelled at them.

"Looks like your wrong." Marco yelled back.

Bugger. Archie followed them into the house.

O O ----- O O

Inside was packed and noisy and so hot. Archie had lost the boys in the masses moving from room to room and back outside. He pushed his way around. His mum and Chesington were stood in the kitchen pouring wine from one of the many bottles left on the work surface. They weren't going to leave.

His sister, he needed to find Becks.

He moved through the bodies, their blood rushing loudly in his ears. A girl pushed herself against him, moving her warm lips up to his ear, whispering. He turned her and pushed her back against the wall. He heard her gasp and moan as he sank his razor teeth into the searing flesh at the side of her neck. His fingers pushed under her skirt as he took his fill. She may as well get something from this, he wasn't a totally heartless monster. He wasn't going to kill her, just take enough. They hadn't eaten before they had left and he needed strength to cope with this hell. Had this been a year early, back home with his friend, in someone else's house it would have been amazing. As it was he was still too new to deal with this many bodies around. Archie let the girl stagger away, a glazed look in her eye. He had to keep control. He went back into the living room. He had to have missed her somewhere. He spotted Marco sat in the chair by the window, with some blonde perched on his lap. Nodding in acknowledgement he scanned the room. Devon was gyrating with some other girl Archie recognised from the boardwalk. He went over to him.

"Have you seen Becks?" He had to shout so that the human could hear him over the pounding music. Devon glared at him.

"Fuck off Freak." His full attention went back to the girl in front of him. Archie felt his face changing. He felt like his skin was being burnt. Every nerve ending sparked. He swung an arm out. It hit Devon squarely in the chest sending him flying back into the locked bookcases behind him.

"Where. Is. My. Sister?" Archie growled out.


	11. Chapter 11

There was a loud thumping. I couldn't tell if it was the music seeping through the floorboard from the party below, or my heart trying to break out of my chest. How cliché. There is very little I have ever felt that matched the chill that emitted from David. At the close proximity he was now at a cool breeze seemed to roll off him. His skin was so pale, I stared down at the back of his neck and he rested against mine. I didn't know what he was doing. If he was going to kill me I wished he'd just get it done and over with, I was tired of all the drama. I had my arms wrapped around the tops of his arms, my fingers dug in the leather to remind him I was still there. The part I hated the most was the fact that I wants to sink into him. There was no rational explanation to it at all. On paper he had to be the worst thing for anyone. Dead for a start. He hurt me. He scared me. He killed my brother...in a manner of speaking. But everything about him just...

His head moved upwards suddenly and he moved back. His hands grabbed my shoulders roughly as he stared past me, to the door. So nice to feel wanted.

"Move." He growled out, pushing me to the side. It was wrong to feel as hurt as I did. My left shoulder hit one of the poles of the bed, the sudden stinging pain spread over my skin. I would not cry. I do not care. He'd already left by the time I looked up. I picked myself up and took a deep breath. I brushed out my hair with my fingers and pulled my cardigan sleeves back into place. I didn't know what to do. Now he was gone the music didn't seem to so loud, the air hung hot and stifling. I went to pick up the near empty bottle now. I picked up the bottle lid and began to screw it back on to the top of the sticky bottle when someone down stairs screamed. The noise was so high it pierced through the air scaring the shit out of mu. I jump, the slick bottle slipped from my grasp, back onto the sopping floor.

"Fuck sake." I hissed, leaving it where it lay and rushed from the room, taking the stairs two at the time. I swung round the banister and pushed through the people in the hall way to the living room. What I saw there made me wished I'd stayed up stairs. The living room was filled with pounding music and people stood whispering, laughing and jeering as Archie stood opposite a startled looking Devon. Blood dripped from one side of his nose and Isabella clung to his arm. Lovely. I rolled my eyes as I tried to make further into the room. As months went this really had to be up there. Archie was rubbing the top of his head, his arm across his face. I caught a quick glimpse of gold from his eyes. This really could only end badly. I needed to get him out of there. "Archie." I wasn't sure whether he would hear me over the speakers, but his head whipped round all the same. Guess he could.

"Archie."

I panicked. That hadn't been my voice. I slowly turned round.

"Mum?"

"Rebekah?" I was stood between my vampiric brother and my estranged parent. Hell of a party. "There you are." I smiled weakly at her, suddenly being thrust in the opposite direction by a violent shove in my back. I twisted.

"Freak." Devon hissed at me, an arm was wrapped around Isabella as he moved through the throbbing crowd and out into the garden.

"We did try and call, darling." I looked at her. My head was spinning."You should have said you Archie; we would have brought something along." Chesington laughed next to her, drink in hand. I watched as his eyes followed two girls in short skirts and low cut tops move pass. What a skeez. I bit out a forced laugh, and then just stood there staring at the two of them. I had no idea what to do. Surely they shouldn't be ok with this. We were having a party. There was booze. My brother had been in a fight. _Archie. _I looked back to where he had been. He was right behind me. I tried to hide my shock at hi closeness by coughing. In the end I just looked retarded. I studied his face. His jaw was clenched, and when he noticed that I had seen him he grabbed a hold of my elbow. Tightly.

"Well this was fun." His voice was low and really hinted at the opposite. He smiled at Mum and Chesington. It was an awful gesture. Dead and uncomforting. He then proceeded in dragging me away. Out into the hallway. Through the milling bodies. Out into the cool air in front of the house. His fingers dug into my skin, the pressure causing the skin to go even paler under his finger tips. I couldn't pull away and ended up letting out a small whimper. His finger seemed to heading straight towards the bone. He let go. The white marks filled up red and stung. "What the hell are you doing?" He may as well as hissed those words at me. I wasn't putting up with this any longer.

"What the hell are YOU doing?" I tried not to yell. As little attention brought to the two of us the better. He ignored me.

"Did you really think a party was a good idea, considering the circumstance?"

"The circumstance?! The one that you so kindly dropped us in?" I moved closer to him. He wasn't one of those, he was my brother and I refused to be scared of him. "It wasn't MY idea. It was Devon's, which, speaking of good ideas, nice one for starting a fight with him in the middle of all of Santa Carla." He rolled his eyes at me. They were a gleaming yellow.

"Can't you do anything by yourself?" He stared right into my eyes. "Why let him run your life." He sneered at me. Archie had never sneered at me.

"As opposed to what you're doing?" My voice cracked. "I'm sick of letting him drag me around. But I have to have someone to rely on. I'm sick of letting you and those things push me around but somebody has to keep things hidden from Clarissa. How long did you think camping would last for?" Anyone walking pasted would have been mildly alarmed as to why two teenagers would be that bothered about tenting holidays. The tears in my eyes proved I did. There was a missed beat. A moment of silence as Archie just looked at me. I thought there was a glint of sadness. Regret.

"But you don't mind David..."He didn't have time to finish the sentence before I'd raised a hand and slapped it across his face. Whether it affected him and his new state at all was questionable, but it made me feel better.

"Don't." Clearly I had been wrong. The thing that stood in front of my now was so far departed from my twin it was unbelievable. The same face, but he had gone. A girl came up behind me.

"You haven't seen Sophia have you?" She was gazing around. Her eyes were glazed and her head was on a swivel. The alcohol poured from her.

"Who?" I sighed. This was not a welcome break from the yelling. I wanted to get it all out, and now that the lid was open...

"My friend. Brown hair. Pink dress?" She looked at me. "She was with some blond guy. Long hair. I'm sure they came this way..." I shrugged at her. Archie stared at the ground. His shoes shifting in the gravel below. Signing, she left. Still searching for her friend but my best guess was that she wouldn't be seeing her again. Ever.

"Something's going to happen." Archie's voice broke the late night air. "There's this guy. We were at this house the other night. He's not happy Becks. He's not going to be happy until something is done about, well about..." He trailed off. _Us. _I knew what he meant.

"Oh."

"Yeh."

_Awkward._

"I'm sor..."

"Hey kids." An icy arm was flung around my shoulders. So close. Maybe he was still inside there.

"What?" I was in no mood to play this demonic game.

"Hey girly." He literally purred in my ear. "I thought we were friends." He slid his arm off me and began to trail his hand down my back.

"Fuck off Dwayne." It was Archie. Dwayne snorted lightly but backed off, grinning. Marco came to stand with us, his footsteps brushing through the pebbles coating the driveway. He was grinning and pointing to the end of the drive. Past the groups of teenagers. Over the cars. On the road a car drove past. It was too far away for me to see the driver, but it was clearly someone or something that meant something to the boys.

"We've met yours. Now you can meet ours." Dwayne laughed as Marco spoke the words, like some sort of perverse nursery rhyme. The car slowed down. As it came to a holt someone stepped out from the darkness beyond the end of the driveway. The car moved on and the figure moved too. I saw his hair reflected in the blue lights. Platinum blond. The blue lights were joined by red ones and two police cars rounded the corner and sped onto Clarissa's driveway.

"Party's over." Dwayne let go of me and began to make his way down the drive. Marco did too, not letting Chesington's car stand in the way of getting to the bikes. He left his foot prints on the bonnet and boot. Two of the bikes had already gone. The policemen barged pasted us into the house.

"You coming, Arch?" Marco yelled from the remaining three.

"Not yet." He moved passed me, following the police. Marco shrugged and Dwayne saluted me. I waved vaguely, my hand hanging in the air as they sped off. I was so confused now. It had gone way beyond the anger from before and was heading straight for despair with a hint of hysteria. I stood just outside the front door as streams of people strolled out, male voices yelling out after the stragglers. Mum and Chesington came to the door with the officers.

"Well just make sure that it doesn't happen again."

"So sorry to have caused you any trouble officer." She had such a sickly sweet voice. Such an awful role model. I rolled my eyes and pushed though.

"Everyone has to leave ma'am." I stopped and turned.

"I live here." And then I stalked into the house. I had to find Archie. The rooms were a mess. I picked up the plastic cups I could find and put lids on bottles. The house seemed huge and deadly quiet. Archie had to be somewhere. I wondered if there was anyone else left. Less wondering and half hoping.

"Rebekah?" I jumped nearly clean out of my skin. Isabella stood at the top of the stairs. I looked around. The front door was now closed. I didn't know where Mum and Chesington had gone.

"What?" I'd never gotten on her the few times we had met. She was girly, prissy, rich and a bit of a huge bitch.

"I need some help." I frowned at her. She kept her voice low and gestured up the stairs. She then disappeared into the room next to the stairs. My room. I hurried up the steps to find out wwhat had happened. Archie was stood just inside the door. A smug look played across his features. Isabella, on the other hand, looked mildly panicked, her make up was slightly smudged. On my bed, next to a blood stained pillow laid Devon. My mind moved quickly from one thought to another.

Panic Archie has killed him.

Happiness My brother did something for me.

Disgust WHAT WERE THEY DOING IN BED?!

On further observation, the blood was actually from his nose and not his neck.

"He just hit him!" Isabella had trouble keeping her voice down. She glared at Archie. " We need to get him out of here. Before Mom and Dad see."

"We?" I cocked my hip. This was just getting stupid.

"Please, Rebekah. _Please_?" I didn't agree to help her because I liked her, or because I liked him. I didn't want Archie to have to explain what had happened. I also wanted them all out of my room.

"You grab his shoulders, I'll get his legs." I went to the end of the bed. She stayed still.

"I've just had my nails done." _You can't be serious_. I dropped his legs and sighed. Archie moved. He pushed Isabella out of the way and effortlessly picked up Devon. I quickly grabbed his legs. I didn't need to but there was no way to explain logically how someone could lift like that.

"You can drive right?" I asked as Isabella followed us down the hallway. She nodded. I motioned for her to go down the stairs first. I went next and Archie followed. "The keys are by the door." I hissed at her. She unhooked them silently and quietly opened the door. _Someone had done this before. _She got outside. There was a loud bang. If I hadn't already reached the bottom step I may well have fallen down them. Archie had let Devon slip from his hands. I glared at him. He smirked back. I tired to keep the glare going whilst biting my lip to keep form laughing.

"What are you doing?" Chesington yelled form the living room.

"Off out." Archie yelled back. I dropped Devon's legs and went to keep the front door open as Archie swung him over his shoulder as if he weighed less than a bag of flour.

O O ----- O O

The car ride that proceeded the break out of the century was an interesting. Considering Isabella had claimed she could drive I would have liked to see official proof. The car swerved along the roads into town at some speed. Well I guess it sped up the rate in which this would all be over. This night and my life. Isabella had no idea where she was going and I couldn't look out the window without the fear that I would empty my guts out all over Clarissa's car. Devon lolled beside me, still unconscious. Must have been some punch. Archie sat up front, directing the manic girl, the anger slowly growing in his voice.

"Stop!" He yelled as we made our way onto the road that ran parrall to the boardwalk. Isabella pulled an amazing, tire screeching emergency brake. "We'll leave him here." Archie quickly climbed out of the door. Isabella swerved in her seat.

"You can't be serious. This is like the middle of friggin no where."

"Do you know he lives?" Archie asked as he dragged the boy's lifeless body from the back. "No?" She didn't reply.

"Someone will find him here." I tried to reassure her. I couldn't stand anymore whining.

"Someone." Archie muttered under his breath as he dumped Devon on a bench and jumped back into the car. I didn't like to think about the someone he meant. But by this point I was beyond caring. With minor fuss Isabella began driving back to the house. Archie barked instructions at her. I could all but hear the animalistic growl in his voice. It wasn't helping the situation. The car rolled more than usual. "What. Is. The. Matter. With. You?" He bit out.

"WHY ARE YOU YELLING AT ME?" She screeched back.

"My god." I muttered from the back. The car could not have gotten back any sooner. Isabella stormed off ahead of us into the house, slamming the door. Archie stood in front of me after leaving the vehicle. He let out a sad smile and kissed me on the top of my head and headed back up the drive. "Leaving so soon?" My attempt at humour fell flat and he didn't answer. I turned and headed into the house. I didn't want to watch the bike drive off.

O O ----- O O

They were all still sat in the living room when I made it into the house.

"Where's your brother?" My mother looked behind me expectantly as I entered the room.

"He's...he's gone somewhere." Yes I am in fact waiting with baited breath for my best liar of the year award actually.

"Oh good. That does make this easier." No demanding where he's gone. No frantic phone calls. Nothing. What excellent parenting. "Now. We have put Isabella's things in your room Rebekah. We thought you wouldn't mind staying in your brother's room for the time being." I stared at her.

"What?"

"Well. We just felt it would be nicer for Isabella to be in a more...you know. And you wouldn't mind sharing...but it doesn't matter as he's not here." Yes that clearly explained everything. I turned and left the room. Left the people sat there. And went to grab things from MY room to take into Archie's. Was it still his if he never stayed here anymore. I picked up my clothes and book form around my room and headed across the hall. Isabella was stood outside waiting.

"There's still blood on the pillow." The statement hung in the air. If she was waiting for me to act on this she was in for the long haul. I ignored her and shut Archie's door. I needed to get some sleep.

O O ----- O O

"I had the worst dream. Ever. Last night." Isabella's dulcet tones wafted though the ground floor as I went down the stairs the next morning. Delightful. I hadn't had the best night's sleep myself but I wasn't about to share with the family. _Family._ I grabbed a banana from the fruit bowl and sat at the dining room table. "So, I was like asleep. And then there was this humming noise or something. And I opened my eyes and it was all hazy. And I thought there was someone in my room. So I sat up and looked around a there was like this guy sat on my window. Staring in. And his eyes glowed and I actually thought he was going to kill me." She took a bite out of her fat free rice cake. "And then. THE weirdest part. When I woke up this morning I thought I could totally smell smoke." Her parents took little notice of her, and pretended not to too. But it was difficult not to. I stared out of the open dining room window. She had left the window open last night. None of the shutters had been pulled across. David had been. Should I feel pleased by this or threatened? I knew which one I did and knew I shouldn't. What was wrong with me?

"You look lost."

_Are you lost?_

"What?" I stammered, pulling my eyes from the window to my mother.

"I said, you look lost. Bad night sleep?" I put the banana skin down. Why the concern.

"Erm, yeh. I'm fine."

"Good good." She hadn't listened to a word I had said. "I thought you could take Isabella down to the sea front. Meet up with some of your little friends from the party last night." She stood up, picking up her mug of coffee. "I'm so glad you're making friends so easily. I was a bit scared you might have picked up your father's gene of falling in with the ...wrong crowd." If she only knew.


	12. Chapter 12

Hiiii there. So originally this was going to be the final chapter, but then it got mega long. and i still have mroe to write and as it is getting close to dissretation length i didnt want to bombard people with it so i decided to split it up. The next chapters going to change everything, blood, fire smexy vamps. what more could you want. Also tahnk you to the people that favourited. made me feel all warm and tingly inside. loves xoxo

* * *

I sat on Archie's bed and stared at the wall. I tried to pass it as being lost in thought but it was really a pathetic attempt to get out of having to go down to the beach. I hate beaches at the best of times; this one sucked the most. No pun intended. I couldn't however get Isabella's dream out of my head. I heard movement out on the landing, of people going to and from _MY_ room. I wasn't quite sure as to why my mother was so determined to get her offspring out of the house but she was like a blood hound. The footsteps became louder, there was someone stood out my door. Waiting. I rolled my eyes. I moved over to the door, opened it and rested against the frame.

"Hi."

I kept staring.

"Mom said you'd take me down to the beach."

"Yes."

"Well, that was like two hours ago and Devon's text me to say they're..." I shut the door on her. What a skeez. There was a knock on the door. She was persistent I'll give her that. I swung the door back open.

"Yes?" It was Chesington stood there. Smashing.

"I thought you said you were off out?" His huge presence took up the entire doorway.

"Well...I..." He was nothing like Dad had been. I mean Dad had been a large man but he wasn't mean.

"Your Mom and I would like some time to ourselves." He stood there waiting for me to react. I grabbed my bag that was balanced at the end of Archie's bed.

"She's not my _Mum_." I pushed passed him out the hall, down the stairs and out the front door. Not that it was a sore point or anything. I waited at the end of the drive, the exact same point I'd watched David stand between the house and the car before the police rolled up. What had that been about? I heard feet approaching up the gravel.

"Nice shoes." I looked down. They were just plain black pumps. I looked back up but she'd already begun down the road. Oh this was going to be fun. We walked in silence until we got down into the town. It was lunch time and the streets were fairly busy. The shops were all open and across the golden sands were clusters of people enjoying the sun. Isabella spotted them before I did and picked up speed. She managed to pull off looking cute whilst running. I really hated her. I, on the other hand, sloped behind. She received hugs as she got to the group. She'd known them for like two hours. How was that even...I shook my head and carried on. Why bother getting worked up about something that was out of my hands. The air turned icy as I got there. I saw Devon. With Isabella. And two other girls. And a black eye. Well the last part cheered me up. I stood there like a lemon for a while. The isolation was horrid. I breathed in the warm air that was being blown around the beach by the sea breeze. I was beginning to become stifling .My bag began to vibrate. I picked out my phone and frowned. A text from an unknown number. I rested against the low wall along the side of the beach and opened the message.

Survived the party? Come over and play some time. Dwayne gets bored.

Marco

I smiled. I scrolled down to reply but then sat staring at the blank screen. What was I going to say? I was so frustrated, the only people I could relate to in any form since moving here were dead and murderous. What does that make me? I shoved the phone back in bag and stood up. All the little stalls were open along the board walk. I remembered dragging Archie along them the first night we had been here. It had seemed so long ago and so much had happened since then. It all seemed so much tattier and grungy without anyone there. There was a jewellery stall. All the bangles and pendants and earrings were organised on multitudes of black velvet cushions. They glinted in the mid day sun. I took back my previous statement; I wanted to touch all of them, to feel the cool metal in my fingers, the hard stones. To one side there was a bracelet. It was silver discs linked together, and each of the discs was a small red stone. It made the most delicate noise as the pieces clinked together as I picked it up.

"How much?" The stall owner was an old man, who I'd clearly disturbed from reading his paper. He sighed and stooped up, groaning at the effort and stared at the bracelet.

"$20" A man of many words, clearly. I handed over the money and slipped the bracelet on straight away, admiring it flash in the brightness of the day. My gaze went back over to the beach.I stood watching them from a distance. I knew it was time to leave. As my father said, only boring people get bored. I saw no sense in sticking around a place I wasn't welcome and did not want to be. The sun was directly above me as I walked the path back from the town to Clarissa's house. No creepy policeman. No rain. No David. The climb seemed to take forever, but I eventually found myself at the end of the drive way. I presumed Mother and Chesington were still there, a joy I did not want to spend my afternoon indulging in. I lifted my face towards the sun. The light was dappled by the trees, though the warmth seemed to still filter through. I stayed like that until the continuous heat was too much to bear. I had The Rivieras' song playing in my head, or was it The Ramones...possibly The Dictators.

_/Well they`re out there a`havin` fun _

_In that warm California sun./_

Only I wasn't having fun. This was it. You only live once. I strode towards the house. Life is short. Maybe even shorter the way I was about to play it but sack it, what else was there to do. The car keys were on the hook where they'd been left the night before. I grabbed them and was gone before either one of the adults realised I'd been back. Time for a quick drive up the coast.

O O - O O

I got less and less brave as I pulled the car to a stop on top of the cliff. The water broke down below me, but all was peaceful. I lent my head back against the head rest and breathed in the fresh air, then pushed myself out of the car. The breeze followed me as I climbed down the cliff and into the entrance below. It was just like it was before, absolutely deserted inside the old hotel lobby. The place was still a complete tip. Apparently dead or alive boys were slobs. I took my time moving through the cavernous entrance hall. I still wasn't sure this was a great idea, or even a smart one, but it couldn't go on like this for much longer. Plus, my delirious girl brain reasoned, he'd dropped in for a visit uninvited, even if I hadn't actually been there to receive him, I could do the same. I ran my hand through one of the drapes on the wall. I wondered how long the boys had lived here. It really was an amazing place, shame about the deadness.

There it was, the door that led to bad, bad things. Allons-y.

Getting up to the rooms was going to be an undignified climb. There were probably some working stairs in the caves but I was not going to wander around alone trying to find them. There were a few stairs leading from the balcony, but most were missing. I grasped the cold metal with my hands and pulled myself up. My palms were throbbing and my arms ached. I leant against the wall for a moment trying to compose myself. To pull this off I had to be cool and suave. Not a not a jabbering pulsating mess. I wished I'd worn something more come hither than a pair of jeans and a cardigan. STOP THINKING. I pushed myself off the wall and opened the second door off the balcony. The room inside was dark and dusty. I could barely make out the shapes of the objects inside, but it seemed pretty deserted. Well that was an epic fail. I moved away from the door. The whole building was silent and my heart began racing. They could be anywhere. Bugger. I caught myself before I began to panic though. What was the point and just staying stood there was only going to be as dangerous as doing anything else. At the end of the balcony was an arch way in the wall. The door that Marco had been stood by during my last visit was still shut but I took a guess that the archway led to the same place. I seemed to be moving towards it before I realised what I was doing. It made sense David would hide himself away in the deepest darkest part.

O O - O O

I ran my hand along the wall. It was rutted and damp, but my best chance of having an idea where I was going and not wandering off and falling to my death off the side of the balcony. I should have brought a torch, or a candle. My phone. I leant against the wall and scrabbled in bag. Hello, LED screen. I'd left the message from Marco open. It still made me smile. Something shifted behind me, I spun round and held my phone out but the corridor was empty. Time to get moving. All the doors along here hadn't looked to have been opened in years. I really hoped I was heading the right way and not just leading myself into a dark hole. I'd already passed along three corridors. The Californian heat didn't reach this far underground. It all seemed so very detached. I moved through another arch way and stopped. The balcony curved around the wall dropped off into a barricade of fallen rubble and cliff side. Along the back wall was a single door. Alone. In the dark. How predictable. I brushed down the front of my cardi and stuffed the phone back into my bag.

I pushed his door open and saw a candle flicker light onto the wall next to the bed where David was laid. His big black boots were resting against a desk with a large black volume lying in his lap. His back was to me, cue for my urbane entrance.

"So it's the funniest thing, when my mother's darling offspring came down for breakfast this morning she mentioned a dream she'd had with a guy sat by her window with glowing eyes." He didn't move. Thinking about it he probably knew I was there. Damned vamp senses. I moved into the room. "You know anything about it?"

"Do you have a death wish?" He placed his boots back on the ground. _Yes._ I ignored him and took my chance at looking around the room. There was a huge bed to one side. A large wooden armoire that had seen better days stood next to the desk. I moved to the bed and sat down. Bouncy.

"I mean, I'm not saying it was you. It could have been any number of..."I looked behind me on the bed. There was something on the wall. I turned back. David was stood over me. He looked pissed. I leaned back on the bed trying to put as much distance between me and those fangs. Why did I think poking the bear would be a good idea? He rested a fist either side of me on the bed.

"What did you want?" He was all growly. Although thinking about it, it was gone midnight in Vamp world. So a tired angry bear. I shrugged and looked up at him. I thought I could see a really faint bruise on the side of his face. It seemed to fade into the stubble. But what could bruise a vampire? His eyes were staring right at, boring their way into my skull. I couldn't stand it any longer and looked away to the side, feigning disinterest.

"Bored, I guess..." The familiar coldness radiated from him. It was a welcome feeling as having him at such close proximity was making my skin burn. He didn't say anything. I guessing wandering into a vampire lair was not considered an aid to cure boredom. Although I guess it depends where you live. "Plus you know, I've got nothing better to do." He probably didn't even remember walking me back the first night. He smirked but didn't move. It was hardly the best position to hold a conversation. I tried to wriggle further across the bed, put the distance between us which would give me the space to clear my head and be able to create smart or at least coherent sentences. "So...here I am." I needed out. Now. I hadn't seen anyone look so predatory in whole life. "Just checking you hadn't wanted anything last night. I'd best let you get back to bed" For the love of God, why could I not stop talking. From his position leaning on the bed, David watched me in what I presumed was mild amusement. A stupid little girl, stammering and stuttering off his bed. This had to have been one of the most stupid decisions of my entire life. I moved for the door as quick as I could and out in to the dark depth outside. My eyes had got used to the dim light in the room which made the hallway seem pitch. I stumbled slightly, trying to navigate which way round I was standing. My foot twisted against what must have been some fallen rubble from the walls and I began to fall. My balance was gone and there was nothing to hold onto. Shit, the balcony. My arms flailed. There was a burning sensation in my wrists and a really sharp pain. I stopped falling down and was tugged up, suddenly being pulled back to the side wall. The light from the room glowed dimly as I clung on to what or rather who had drawn me back from the brim. My breathing was erratic as I stared up into those glowing orbs. My wrist still hurt; perhaps the tug had broken it. I stared down at it, trying to make it out in the dim light. "You broke my bracelet." That's all I had to say as I stared at my lower arm. Three of the discs had gouged themselves into the flesh of my wrist. The rest of it must be on the bottom of the walk way or somewhere. Blood had begun to trickle down my arm, across my palm and dripping onto the floor. I squeezed my eyes shut and quickly looked between my wrist and David. I must have been in shock because I began to wobble again. The blood didn't bother me; it was the metal sticking out of me that did it. "I need..." I began. Help? Medical attention? I needed something. David still had hold of my arm. The grip was tight. He pulled my arm up closer to him; I couldn't look at it as it passed by me. Every so often the blood caught a flicker from the light beyond. "Don't." I reached my other hand out. I didn't know what I planned to do but I didn't want anyone touching it. I tried pushing him away. My hand hit the rough material of his coat, the metal from the medals. The whooshing sensation, the one you get right before you faint, hit me. It was overwhelming my vision and my hearing. Grabbed the lapel of the coat, I tried leaning away from him. I was such a state and if I wasn't in my current predicament would have felt so bloody embarrassed. I think we moved, I couldn't be sure, but I wasn't leaning against air anymore but the slick cave wall. The pain in my wrist was getting worse. More movement. Softness and pain juxtaposed as I struggle to clear my vision. Those pretty little discs must have sunk quite far in. Hurrah from severed arteries. I screamed. One was ripped out. Then the next and the next. I tried grabbing at them and then at him. I hadn't known pain like it. I was thrashing, and had it been anyone but the undead I would have done some damage. I'd never had a particularly good pain threshold and this just went to prove it. The light flickered and disappeared. I must have knocked it. Now panic set in. I did not need to be in the dark with the vampire. I saw his eyes glowing in front of me and then ice. It felt so good I moaned and leant back. The painful throbbing began to slow, my arm felt light and tingly. I thought I heard David actually growl. His head was up to mine. His face exactly in front. I still felt dizzy and I lolled my head back. His mouth was straight there, scratching the scar with his sharp stiletto fangs. My hands reached up for his neck, clasping either side of his face, I brought it back in line with mine and began my own attack. His lips were so cold. I could still taste the metallic taint of blood. My blood. My head was still spinning, although it was questionable as to what was causing it. I moved my hands from his face down his neck to his chest, in line with his shoulders. As long as I had a hold of him I could keep myself there. I pulled myself up to him, his lips kept marking mine. I opened my eyes. David smiled against my mouth. I gasped as my arm rubbed against his shirt. Funny how I'd forgotten about it. I turned my head away from his. I needed to check on it. There was still blood trickling from the open wounds. He growled against my neck.

"Rebekah..." I moaned I felt my head begin to fall back against the bed below.

O O - O O

I didn't know where I was when I opened my eyes again. Passing out in obscure places was never a clever road to go down. It was dark and cold. I was definitely lying down. My head throbbed at I sat up in the gloom. I swung my legs round to stand up and hit something. Someone. David. He was laid so still it was hard to imagine that he would ever wake again. He looked much younger as he slept, I wanted to reach out and touch his face. I brought my hand out but it just hovered over him, I really didn't trust his eyes not open and him to grab me. I couldn't deal with any more shocks. I looked at my arm. It had a ripped piece of material tied round it. I leant down and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. There was no decorous way to clamber over his body to get off the bed, but it didn't seem to stir him. I guess it really did take a lot to wake the dead. I grabbed my bag from the floor by the bed and moved out into the corridor. I took my time this time.

The lobby was dark now, I had no idea what time it was but the sun had defiantly gone down. I stood by the entrance and let the cool sea breeze hit me.

"Nice set of lungs you've got on you girlie."

I twisted. Dwayne was lounging on a sofa. Marco was stood there too and Archie was perched on one of the alcoves dug into the wall. There was the most sinister laughter behind me and Paul came to stand directly behind me. I'd managed to miss them in my haze. I sighed.

"I fell."

"I bet you did."

"Shut up." Archie barked at Paul. I looked up at him. "Alright?"

"Alright?" He grinned at me and I grinned back. "Fancy seeing you here." I moved over to him. He slid down to the ground.

"Why are you here?" I rolled my eyes in mock anger.

"God, why is everyone so put off by my arrival? So what, you lot can attend people's houses uninvited but I'm not? Although, technically I was invited, remember?"

"See, I knew she couldn't resist me." Dwayne made me smile. Archie had grabbed hold of my wrist and was slowly studying it. "Are you thirsty?" Dwayne got up towards me, grinning. I opened my mouth.

"No she's not thirsty." Archie hadn't even looked up, he began to untie the material around my wrist, poking and prodding as he went.

"Dude, you're no fun." Paul was behind me once again. That guy gave me the creeps.

"I resent that, I'm loads of fun. Becks, tell him I'm fun"

"You're no fun. And also, _ouch_." I stood glaring at him. "I don't know if you've noticed but that's not really the ideal place to be jabbing." I tore my arm back and tried to retie the makeshift bandage one handed. Archie pulled it back and did it for me.

"How did you say you did that?" Marco came over too. Wow didn't I feel popular. I moved my arm to behind my back, between me and Archie.

"I fell." Now to abridge the story. "My bracelet and me sort of meshed. It was a really nice bracelet by the way. Not as you care. And then yeh, damaged me." I shrugged.

"It didn't look so damaged" Dwayne moved to grab my hand. I stuffed it further behind me into Archie. Old trusts die hard.

"I'll damage you." He just smirked. I knew it was an empty threat. He knew it was an empty threat too.

"You can damage me all you like babe, make my day." I raised an eye brow at him and was then forced backwards. Paul seemed to fly through the air straight sat Dwayne.

"Ok." The two of them fell to the floor, laughing and punching. I smiled watching them. This place felt more like home than anywhere else had in Santa Carla so far.

Their heads whipped round, before I even heard the door shut. David walked across the lobby. My heart jumped into my mouth as I watched him. He didn't stop, he didn't even look at us. I didn't know what I had been expecting, but It hadn't been that. My chest felt heavy. The boys continued mucking around, shoving each other, moving around the room. Archie grabbed my hand before I knew what was going on. He leant down to my ear.

"Is this the part where I agree with you that all men are bastards?"

"You're a dick." I mumbled.

"No, I'm a bastard." His words made me laugh, leant back into him. Well not everything could be perfect. It didn't stop it hurting though. I stood staring out of the cave entrance, my mind wandered back to earlier. The world carried on without me.

"I'm bored."

"I'm hungry." Shadows moved in front of me. My arm was nearly ripped from the torso as Archie pulled me towards where the shadows had gone, out of the mouth of the cave.

"Remember, you wanted this."

O O - O O

The beach was still full of left over sun worshippers. As the boys stalked the milling crowds on the board walk I kept an eye out for Isabella, Devon and the it crowd. And other people. I wandered through the crowds, my head in clouds and waited for them to come back. After... I didn't like to think about it. I looked up to see them walking down the boardwalk towards. The Them I didn't want to see not the ones I did. Devon had his arm wrapped around Isabella's waist. It didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. But then he's a bastard. I grinned and ducked into the nearest shop, pulling my cardigan sleeve further down my arm. It had been a bad choice on my part, the shop was the video store that I had been in with them before, but I decided I'd work on keeping my head down and getting out before they saw me. I really didn't need the drama. The shop was quiet but not empty as perused the shelves. I picked up a couple of boxes. Død snø. Zombie Nazis. What more could you want? Another time perhaps. I put it back and moved on to the classics. Somebody was stood behind me.

"Such an unholy mess of a girl." I spun around and stared at the man behind me, a mix of alarm and panic.

"I'm sorry?" He smiled and nodded at the box I was holding. High Society.

"Such a splendid film." I smiled at him.

"One of my favourites." Well this wasn't awkward. He kept smiling at me. There was something about him...

"I think your friends are waiting for you." So much for keeping my head down. Behind him, just outside the doorway to the shop was Devon and his surfer cronies.

"Thanks." I muttered as I walked away. The group of teenagers stood there, all pristine and carefree. It was like something straight out of a film. Well, there was no need to be unpleasant, I'd be the bigger person, rise above. I smiled as I went past them, out into the centre of the boardwalk. I saw no reason to hang around but at least I acknowledged them. As I walked past there were bursts of laughter and mutterings. Wow it really was like some teen movie. I turned round and rolled my eyes. This was the new me, the grab the bulls by the horns, the vampires by the fangs, the annoying pretty boy by the testis. I walked back over. "Evening, Devon. Did you have a fun night last night?" He pulled Isabella in tighter.

"Yeh."

"Really? Cos two black eyes and a broken nose begs to differ? Or is that the new in look? Emo with a hint of victim. Still I'm sure all that sea air will do you good. Maybe spend another night out here, see what happens." Death would be nice.

"You're a freak you know that right. I tried to help you..." I cut him off.

" Help? Was that before or after..." He wasn't looking at me any longer. Some of his friends had backed off, and I saw him heading that way too. I checked behind me. The gang of boys really were an opposing sight. There wasn't a single thing about them that wasn't rapacious or predatory about them. A wall of killer destruction.

"Come on Becks..." Archie said quietly.

"I'm not finished." I'd opened some sort of Pandora's Box of anger. "You're such a self righteous prick. You're just one person. No one cares what you think. The sooner you get what's coming to you the better." I turned to walk off, my face was so hot. "Oh, and Devon?" He stood there scowling at me, between the swelling and the bruising. "Bite me." I was physically shaking as I left them, pushed passed Archie and Marco and up the boardwalk, step in line with Dwayne. This night had really turned into an anger-fest. I was sick of feeling so down since moving here, only under the circumstances it was predictable, but vampires and stuck up cliques were not aiding the healing process.

"Carry on behaving like that and I'm gonna get you a leash girlie. You'd look good in a leash." I stared straight ahead of me. I thought of sucker punching him into the next time zone but it would be no use. I'd hit him. He'd laugh. I'd have a broken hand._ So_ not worth it. I took the safer option of barking out a fake laugh and carried on walking. Two of their gang were missing.

"If you're looking for Paul," Marco came up beside me, "He's still out playing."

"She's not looking for Paul..."Archie chuckled beside me. Him, I had no problem threatening to punch. I didn't, I mean my arm was still sore. That was my excuse and I was sticking to it.

"For you information, I'm not looking for anyone."

"David's out playing too." I turned to Dwayne and gave him my most withering look. The serious, if looks could kill stare. Although, he technically was already dead... we carried on walking. The throngs of people were more abundant up this end of the boardwalk, near the fair ground. "So, what was with him tonight? Doesn't he usually go erm... with you?" I said quietly. I knew they could hear me.

"Perhaps he was tired."

"Yeh, maybe he didn't sleep much."

"What with all you screaming." I turned and punched him. I was right. It did hurt. Dwayne just sniggered and waltzed off towards the Waltzers.

Back home we'd had a fair come each year to a field just outside the village. The one on the boardwalk was so much bigger. It was loud and there were bright beautiful colours everywhere, and the trademark fairground noise. I loved it. Dad used to let us stay up as kids to go to the fair at night just to see it in all its glory. All I need was a bag of candy floss and I was set. A tub of it was thrust into my hands, Marco grinned. How odd. It's not like they could read minds. Oh god I hoped they couldn't read minds.

"Keeps the blood sugars up."

"Thanks," I muttered. I took it as a thoughtful gesture and nothing more. Nothing to think and worry about. I mean really, if they were going to kill me they would have done so by now. Right? Someone grabbed my arm and I nearly jumped out of my skin. So maybe I was a little worried. As it was it was just Archie, dragging me to keep up with them. Just Archie, who was now one of them and could quite easily do whatever they could. He stood looking bemused as I tried to work out what I was doing. It took me a moment or two to get my feet moving again. Clearly they couldn't read minds. Or maybe it was just Archie, he always was a bit dim. I stumbled through the crowds after him. I really did need something to eat. I hadn't had anything since that banana at breakfast and what with the blood depletion I was feeling a bit woozy. And I was not fainting again. I was not one of those girls who just flop around, passing out left right and centre. "I just need to sit down for a bit, I'll meet you later, yeh?" I went over to perch on one of the low fences surrounding the fair ground. Before leaving Archie lent down and placed a kiss on the top of my head. I gripped his hand. "Missed you." He just smiled and slipped off. I pulled open the lid to the pink clouds inside. Who ever invented candy floss was a sheer genius. I ripped some off and popped it in my mouth. I felt better already. No I didn't. I spy with my little eye something beginning with D. With a girl. Who wasn't me. I didn't know why it bothered me so much. That's a lie I knew exactly why it bothered me but it didn't make me like it any better. I angrily tore at the gooey substance and bit away at clumps of it. What was wrong with me? No scratch that, what was wrong with men. First they come visit your room at night, then they save your life, and then they walk off with scantily clad beach women. Fine, whatever who needed him. I'd eaten half the box and now felt less woozy but a little sick. What fun. I headed over to where I'd seen the guys last.

"Girlie!" I followed the sound. Dwayne patted the seat next to him on the dodgems. Hell yes. Why worry about guys when I could just ram the fuck out of them. Perhaps not the right choice of phrase. I jumped in next to him, just before the bell sounded. He was cold like David; it made my hairs stand on end. It wasn't the same. My head whipped back as the cars began to move. Dwayne had his hands wresting on the little wheel, but if he thought I was just along for the ride he was _dead_ wrong. I grabbed at the stirring wheel and thrust us quickly in the opposite direction. I spotted Archie in some car with a randomer, and Paul coming straight at us matching blonde in tow. I put the pedal down right to the floor and drove at him. I loved the dodgems. I laughed. I always laughed when I was nervous. The ride went on for five minutes. Towards the end I gave the wheel to Dwayne. Restore some of his manhood, plus I was beginning to get bruised and battered, and would ache like hell tomorrow.

Archie was the only one not to question my driving.

"Made me glad I was already dead." Paul had an arm round Dwayne's neck as he tried to steer him away from me. They were dead. They would always be dead. I wasn't.

"You think it's funny, but that's how she actually drives." I guessed Archie was just breaking my own personal tension. I mean, please, I am a well good driver. I got up those cliffs all on my...

"Fuck the car." I stopped and panicked. "I left it up there. I didn't tell Mother and it's still there and..."

"I'll sort it." Marco came from nowhere, swiping my bag from my shoulder as he passed. He chucked it in one fluid motion to Archie. Archie reached in and grabbed my phone. I made a grab at him. He through the bag at Dwayne. Piggy in the middle was no fun with vampires. I jumped trying to intercept it but it didn't work. The phone. I twisted back to Archie who saw me coming and threw the phone. I followed it as it curved through that air and ran smack into a cold hard body. I looked up to see David smirking down, phone in hand. I grimaced and snatched at it, but it had left this hand before my hand was even high enough to grab it. Instead I just grabbed him. I snatched my hand back quickly, but it had been all the distraction they had needed.

"Mother." Archie had ended up with the phone. "Yeh. Becks is coming camping with us tonight." I hated camping.

O O - O O

We'd walked round the boardwalk for hours. Well they walked, I trudged. I hadn't looked or talked to him since. David, I mean. But my silent treatment didn't really seem to be having the desired effect. They head back to the cave, still wired from whatever they had been doing previously. I took a step back and watched them. Paul had brought beer back with them, which I quickly declined. They were just like regular guys, just with murderous intent. It was odd to watch them, to have both situations in mind. The lobby was full of music and smoke and laughter and jeers. I understood why Archie had come, I just wished he'd brought me too. I went to sit outside for a while, keep my head clear, leave them be. I took my candy floss with me, no point in wasting it. I let it dissolve on my tongue as I watched the waves crash below. It was dark out here, away from the neons of the town. There was crashing behind me. All was good. Someone dropped down next to me.

"Rebekah..." I hadn't heard him walk over. He didn't look at me, just stared out to sea. I stared at him from beneath my fringe and he held out his bottle. I shuck my head. "Come on..." His voice was rough, and low.

"Really, I'm fine." I just loved dealing with drunks. He knocked it back, then held it out again. "No. Remember how I nearly died of blood loss?" I started getting up to go back inside. "Not exactly feeling too peachy." I turned to walk away but was pulled back down, landing on David.

"Why are you fingers so sticky?" I stared at him. I stared at him on his knee. I kept the grin inside.

"What?" He had hold of my hand still from where he'd grabbed me back. Pulling it up to face level, he sat look intently at my fingers and then me. "I... I had candy floss." His handsome face crinkled slightly into a frown. "You know, sugar and ... pink." I flipped off the container's lid with my thumb and tore a piece of the confectionary off. Wobbling slightly, I brought it up to his lips, waiting from them to open. So close to those teeth. He eyed me suspiciously before taking it. Barely a second transpired before his lips were crushing mine. He tasted of sugar, beer and metal. Everything about him was cold and hard, as I gripped onto his shoulder with one hand and held the top of his arm with the other trying to keep myself from falling off the side of the cliff. We were both so close to the edge but I didn't want to stop him. Forever didn't seem like such a bad option if it was just this. His held on to the side of my head whilst the other pressed against the small of my back, bringing me into him. All my nerves were tingling, a warning that I shouldn't be this near such a powerful predator. An innate alarm system. His harsh kisses trailed from my lips to my neck and I nearly cried out. Every touch felt like electricity on my skin. I shivered against him as his fangs scraped the scar. "David..." I murmured into his ear, his soft hair pressing against the side of my face. I thought I heard him actually growl into the crook of my neck, it made me shudder once again, the vibrations shooting all over my body. He brought his face up, and I took a moment to glance over. His golden eyes glowed in the darkness of the Californian night, looming above me. The hand in my hair moved down my side to join his other, both slipped under the bottom of my cardigan, resting just above my hips. He'd already pulled me to my feet without me realising, he now began to walk me backwards. My back hit the harsh rock cliff face, just up from the cave mouth. In my haze I could still hear the others inside, but none of it seemed important. His face was about two inches from mine, and that was where it remained. David just stood staring at me, his eyes moved from my neck to look right into mine. My hips were forced against the wall with the strength of his grip, it didn't however stop me from leaning my head forward and commandeering his mouth. I smiled against his lips as he forcefully kissed back, my hands reached up to entangle themselves in his blond hair.

There was a pause. David ripped himself of me and walked away to the cliff face. He stood there for what seemed like an agonising eternity, his back to me. As quick as he was gone though, he seemed to be back. He vehemently grabbed my hand, and pulled me towards the cave mouth. I frowned, not knowing or understand where we were going and why had it stopped. I dragged my hand back from him, a painful motion. I wasn't moving until I got an answer.

"Not here." He bit out and grabbed my hand again, his fingers weaving into mine. Oh. OH. My heart was going at a rate of knots as I followed him inside. Our footfalls seemed to make so much noise as we walked through into the lobby. But not as much as those behind us. David stopped. The noise of the boys stopped.

"Now, now then boys, is that alcohol I see? Tut tut." I glanced behind me to see who had followed us in here. I then stared in confusion. It was the man from the video store. "Oh, and we have guessed. Surely now, that's no way to behave in front of company."


	13. Chapter 13

I watched as the man walked further into the lobby. Well this was odd. I looked back behind me but David was gone. Movement headed in the same direction as the man, but not quick enough. On one of the alcoves sat what looked like a wine bottle but it was encrusted with stones. The man grabbed the bottle before David even had time to reach out and grab it. So maybe not a man.

"What is this doing out here? Someone could have accidently drunk it." David stood staring directly at him. I did not understand what was going on but I could tell it was not good, I wasn't stupid. "Temper, temper David. If you can't be trusted with it I will have to take it away." He was then stood in front of me, his presence looming over me, backing me into the wall. "How rude of me, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Max." I tried to avoid eye contact with him, darting my eyes over his shoulder. I don't know what I had been expecting, a white knight, someone to stop him. But no one did. David smirked at me. My stomach dropped and heart began to race. Paul had a hand on the back of Archie's neck, who was staring down at the ground. Funny how you can be so alone in a room full of people; people being a loose term. God, I was such an idiot. Why had I thought at all that this would be a good thing? Oh yeh, go hang out with the undead Rebekah, what a smart move. I should have just stuck around with Devon and...NO. That wasn't me.

"Becks," I stuck out my hand, "It's a pleasure." The cockiness in my voice nearly even fooled me if it hadn't been for the violent trembling of my hand. Max took my hand gently; he was as cold as they were.

"I know who you are, dear." He grip got tighter as he turned back to the boys. "What I am confused about is why you are still...here." The anger in his voice was now evident, my hand began to throb as his grip just tightened and tightened. "I gave you one task to do. Was that really so difficult boys? You're getting sloppy. You either changed her or got rid of her." He pulled me closer to him. "And it appears to me that you have done neither.

"Well I..."I watched as Dwayne step forward, an arrogant tone, got elbowed in the stomach by Marco. The rest of them stayed silent; like school boys being told off.

"Unless, of course, I interrupted a decision, David." His face dropped. It was a nice change from that supercilious smile from his face. "You seemed to having such..._fun_ outside. I thought maybe you'd forgotten what I'd asked. However, if I was disrupting your plans I'd be more than happy to let you continue them. Or maybe I should just do it for you." _What?_ The hand that had been gripping my hand was now clasping my neck. In his other hand was the glass bottle. It wasn't just my hand that was shaking now. Using his hold on my neck he tilted my head back. "You'll be a nice gift for my boys." He lifted up the bottle. "You have your brother to thank for that." He began to pour the thick liquid down my throat. I spluttered as the fluid flowed. It was coming too fast, dripping down my neck. As soon as he began he stopped. I was frigging confused. And so embarrassed. He brought me up so I was standing straight again. "Have a pleasant evening, boys. Rebekah." And he was gone. He just placed the bottle down as he went, and walked out of the cave entrance. I stood on my own breathing deeply. I don't think I had ever been as angry as I was right now.

"What the fuck?"

"Oh cheer up girly." Dwayne came over to me, putting an arm round my shoulders. I flinched away from him and shoved him away. It didn't hurt as much as it had last time I'd tried to push one of them. Adrenalines a strange thing I suppose.

"Who was that?" I ground out.

"That was Max." Paul moved away from the boys, back to where the drinks they had previously were.

"Didn't he introduce himself?" Marco followed him.

"He did introduce himself." Dwayne left me and went too.

"I know who he _is_, but _who _is he?" My voice was trembling as much as I had been

"Oh she wants to know _who_ he is." David sat down with them too, lounging on one of the battered armchairs.

"Wants to know who who is?" Dwayne smirked against the beer bottle.

"Max."

"Oh she wants to know who Max is."

"He's Max."

I stood there staring at them; they were acting like this was nothing. Archie was the only one of them that remained silent.

"You're all such...dicks." I think the rage in my voice. That's when I walked out. I'd stormed out of many rooms in my time, but this had more dramatics to it. The moment I left the cave there was a flare of lightening quickly succeeded by a clap of thunder. Then came the rain. The drops were huge, and cold as they splashed onto the ground and my face, mixing in with the tears. It was a messy struggle trying to get back to the top of the cliff. I went straight to the car and then sat there. It was pitch black out. The rain beat against the metal of the vehicle with such velocity. The door opened next to me.

"Alright?"

"Piss off."

"I know you're angry. I understand. But it's not going..."

"You don't understand anything Archibald. He could have done anything to me. And none of you did anything. You didn't do anything to stop him." My voice seemed to echo round the beat up car.

"There wasn't really much I could have done."

"I would have appreciated sorry a lot more." I sat with my arms folded against my chest, staring out over the sea.

"You going to come back inside? Make them say sorry too?"

"Don't patronise me." I recoiled back from him as he reached out for my arm. He took a deep unnecessary breath.

"I don't think you have much of a choice."

"I could just go home."

"No." He got out of the car, the rain soaking him the moment he stood up. "You couldn't." And then I was alone again. Perfect. I sighed and dropped my head against the steering wheel. The horn blared out into the night and I screamed along with it. Best get it out of my system. Archie was right, I couldn't go back to Clarissa's house. I just couldn't spend any more time with my supposed family. At least the night couldn't get any worse.

O O - O O

Oh how wrong I'd been.

I was drenched by the time I'd got back to the cave. I slunk in through the entrance and stood, watching them. I had no doubt that they knew I was there. There was music playing and possibly a card game. I wasn't too sure how I was meant to go about getting back in. I mean I knew I had every right to be mad. No one stopped him from doing whatever it was he did to me. Which I was still horrifically confused about. I was still shaking but it had stopped being from anger and was now just from the cold.

"Rebekah." I jerked my head in the direction the voice had come from. David was leant against the wall, watching me. "You're creating a puddle."

"It's raining." I shrugged, wrapping my sodden arms around myself.

"Hey, if you need warming up..."Dwayne sniggered from across the room.

"You came back?" David hadn't moved any closer to me, but his presence was overwhelming enough. I watched the water trickle off the end of my nose.

"I left the keys in my bag." I knew I had to suck up my pride. "Do you have a towel, or something, it's just that I can't feel my fingers." I chattered out. He grabbed my hand and pulled me with him. "Erm, ok." We crossed the lobby towards the door. I was wary as he dragged me through the cave this time, I really didn't want to be alone anywhere with him. "I'll wait here." The corridor was as dark as ever.

"Do you want to dry off or not?" I rolled my eyes and followed him into the darkness. I kept my hand on the wall. My arm was aching again. The rain had soaked through the make shift bandage and it was rubbing against the cuts. It was a generally miserable situation to be in. "Try not to kill yourself." We were nearly outside his room.

"I'm sure you'd hate that" I mumbled under my breath. He didn't disagree. He took out his lighter and lit a candle and went inside that beat up armoire. He threw a pile of clothes at me. I stared at him for a moment. "Thanks." He still didn't move. "I'm not going to get changed in front of you." I ground out, my words dripping with every bit the amount I hated him at the moment.

"Funny, you seemed to be willing to do a lot..." I slapped him hard across the face.

"You're a pig, you know that?"

"No Rebekah," He grabbed hold of the hand I'd just hit him with and pulled me up close to him with it, "I'm a vampire." His hands moved down from my arm to my chest, and he began to undo the tiny buttons on my cardigan. The black and white polka dot wool was plastered to my vest top underneath. He pushed it down my arms. Then walked off. Jeez. This continuous game was starting to make me feel ill. I angrily shoved the cardigan the rest of the way down my arms and on to a pile on the floor, quickly followed by the vest and my jeans. The bra and knickers were staying, there was no chance in hell of me spending any time with those things not fully...supported. Not while I still had some dignity left. David had left a t shirt and boxers for me. I took a moment to thank god for waxing otherwise this would have been an embarrassing evening. The shirt came down to the middle of my thighs, the boxers just below that. I looked longingly at my jeans on the floor. On the upside they were dry. I folded the clothes and clutched them too me, exiting the room as soon as I could.

O O - O O

The clothes had been unceremoniously dumped over an alcove near the door and I'd gone to sit with the boys. I'd once been shown how to play poker but I hadn't understood it then, and I sure as hell didn't now. I had my legs tucked underneath me and was leaning back against David, my head resting on his shoulder. I didn't feel too good. Considering I was just in a t shirt and shorts I was really warm, my head was swimming too and my chest felt like it was trying to cave in on itself. It felt like the worse hangover ever. I moaned as another convulsion ripped its way through my torso.

"You ok, girlie?" Dwayne hadn't looked up from his card.

"I'm ok..." I groaned making a move to get off the sofa. It didn't really work. "Feels like second hand alcohol fumes..." I trailed off and went back to just lying there.

"Yeh, alcohol fumes." I frowned at Paul as he said this, everything I had ever heard him say was always dripping with a sinister connotation. Creepy.

"That's supposed to mean?" No answer just laughter. "Hum?"

"It's not what you haven't been drinking." Marco threw his cards down. There was another spasm and I gripped hold of the nearest thing, which happened to David. He looked away from his cards and down at me, raising his eyebrow. _What I hadn't been drinking?_ I shifted, sitting upright at the opposite end of the seat.

"Why?" I laughed, the spinning in my head made me giddy. "What was that stuff?" I saw the boys look between each other. I think they were grinning. There was a glint of something in their eyes. "What. Was. That. Stuff?"

"Blood." I stared at David.

"Blood?" I smiled. "Why would he pour blood down my throat?" No one answered. I turned to face my brother. "Why would he pour blood down my throat?" He shrugged.

"Welcome to the family." There was nothing I could do. I swallowed and looked around at each of them, waiting for the big surprise. It didn't come. I wrapped my arms around my legs, and leant back against the arm of the sofa.

"So that's it?" I thought I was going to cry. It wasn't that it wasn't what I wanted, it was just so sudden, so clinical and so decided. I squeezed my eyes shut as the pain came again. I guess that explained that. My eyes prickled. That hadn't been the way it was supposed to happen. I thought... I don't know what I thought, romance, biting, maybe a full moon. Clearly I'd seen too many horror films. I looked over at Archie. He didn't seem too bothered about the change. Apart from when he nearly had a fit on the dining room floor. And the fact he now killed people. Oh god. "I don't think I can kill someone" The words escaped me before I thought them through properly. Their heads turned to face me, but it wasn't me they looked at. The air outside had begun to change. Heating up. There was more noise of birds and a glow began to enter through the entrance. Sun rise.

"Bed time" Dwayne winked at me as the boys dropped the cards. I screwed my face up and watched them go. I headed in the opposite direction. I let the breeze roll off the ocean and on to my face. It was already warm. I stuck my arm out to catch the suns first rays.

"You won't be able to do that for much longer." I didn't need to look round to know that Archie was behind me. "You know, it's really not that bad. I mean this bit hurts. But it gets better" I just shrugged, there wasn't really much to say. "Plus, it's not like we had much going on" I continued to stare out as the sun rose in the sky, everything was so bright. By the time I'd turned back he was gone. I went and sat back in the sofa and curled myself up. I vaguely watch the breeze catch on some of the swathes of material hung from the roof. It was hypnotic and the last thing I remember before falling into a dreamless sleep.

I didn't sleep for long. I never did in a strange place. I did wake up tired still though. One of the worst feelings ever. I stumbled out of the chair, trying to get my eyes to work. My clothes were where I left them. I ran my fingers along the material. It felt rough, and still damp. The sun had gone past mid day but still hung high in the sky, I moved towards it, edging closer to the waves of light and heat it gave out. I stepped out into the warmth, letting it engulf me. The sun was slowly baking the cliff wall, which I leant against, slid down and sat on the floor. I had so many things surging through my body. My blood. Hateful thoughts. Someone else's blood. Strength. The sun was warmer than I had ever felt in my life. I'll miss the sun. I honestly didn't know how I was going to cope with this. Vampire. It was the first time I'd just stopped. I wanted my Dad. I wanted my brother back. I just wanted someone to tell me it was all going to be ok. That loosing the day would not be so bad.

And that was how I saw out the day. In the sun.

I felt so languid. I heard voices and movement in the cave, every nerve in my body sparked at the close proximity of the boys inside. I tried to say something but I couldn't. Dwayne stepped out of the entrance. His boots collided with mine.

"Girlie. You been out here long?" I shrugged. My eyes focused on where the sun had disappeared beneath the sea. Someone joined him. David. My skin tingled when he stepped out. It was weird. I was meant to be mad at him. I turned my body round, my legs perpendicular to the cliff. It was petty but I was all I could do to stop myself launching at him. What was the matter with me? Everything was messed up. The air seemed to shift between the two of them. Just me and David now.

"What?" The venom in my voice hung between us. He moved down, next to me, and crouched. So close.

"Rebekah." I looked at him. I wanted to launch myself at him. Although to do what I wasn't sure. I was torn between scratching his eyes out and claiming his lips with mine. The later was shining through as the better option. Call me old fashioned but I liked my men with eyes. But I just didn't have the energy.

"Go away."

"You need to feed."

"I need to go home." I thought I heard his sigh in exasperation. Well, I'm glad I was annoying him as much as he was me. I pushed myself up using the wall. I was still wearing his clothes. "I'm changing and then I'm leaving." I staggered past him, leaving him the dusk.

Inside the cave the boys were lounged where they had been the night before. I picked up my clothes from the side and moved away from them into the corridor. It didn't seem as dark as it used to be. My jeans were stiff as I pulled them on and my cardigan gaped. Dragged through a hedge backwards much? I grabbed my bag from where the boys were seated and moved out of the cave without saying a word. Back at the car. I could turn the engine on this time though, the vehicle rumbled to life. I pushed it into reverse and took off the handbrake. Instead of moving backwards I was shunted forwards slightly; the back of the car higher up than I was. I swerved round to see Dwayne and Paul holding up the rear of the car. I thrust my foot down on to the accelerator and just listened to the engine roar and the back wheels spun. I stopped and thumped the wheel. The car bounced back to the ground. The axle creaked. I threw open the door and pushed myself out. As I slammed the door shut the air bag went off and the car was full of white dust. My head pounded. I ignored their smirks, their devilish faces and pressed on into the night. I could walk back. David came to stand directly in front of me.

"Move." The noise I made was guttural. It scared me how much I didn't recognise myself. He didn't stop me and I walked on.

O O - O O

I was so tired by the time I got back to the house. Physically and emotionally drained. The door seemed to pitch backwards violently as I pushed it to get into the house. Well, there was no way of hiding away now. I hadn't had my foot on the first step before my mother was coming down the hall way beaming.

"Did you have a fun day?" She asked coyly, wrapping her hand around the banister and smiling at me.

"Mmm." I started up the stairs again. Her hand landed on mine, stopping me dead in my tracks. Her skin was so hot and I could hear the steady drumming of her pulse. I pulled my hand away from her's. I could feel the splinters of wood catch under my nails and the shock on her face as she saw the gouges left behind on the handrail. "Don't. Touch. Me." I turned and went up the stairs, leaving her standing below.

"Now listen here young lady..." I didn't. I went straight to my room. The door was shut, possibly locked but it didn't stop me.

"Rebekah! Rude much, you can't go around barging into..."

"Two minutes and it's all yours, Isabella." I kept my voice steady. My skin was tingling. I couldn't decide if it was anger or the blood bag throbbing next to me. Standing still for a moment, I tried to gather my thoughts and push through the noise and the growing ache in the pit of my stomach. Right. Clothes. I needed clothes. And shoes. And make up, I think I've spent enough time in that stupid cave looking like I'd been dragged through a hedge backwards. A little bit of glamour wouldn't go amiss. It wasn't a bid to impress. Anyone. "Shoes..." I murmured to myself as I flung my pumps and boots out the bottom of the wardrobe into the case behind me.

"What are you doing?" Isabella came to stand behind me. "Why are you packing? Are you running away? Oh my god, does Mom know?"

"Oh shut up." I knelt on the case and prised the zip round. Hurrah for new found strength. I stood up and smoothed my top down.

"Ew, what happened to your clothes?" Torrential rain if I remembered. I glanced in the mirror. I didn't scream, and for that I was proud. Or I would have been if it wasn't for the fact I was concentrating on not having some sort of fit. All that was in the mirror was the room behind and a faint outline, of me. Great. Just fucking marvellous.

"Don't know," I mumbled. Back into the case I go. Skirt, t-shirt boots. A shrill beeping came from the bed and Isabella all but scurried over. And sighed. "Someone special?" The shirt over my head may have muffled my voice but not the sarcasm.

"Devon's coming."

"I bet he is." I pulled the boots on and chucked the ruined clothes into the bin next to the door. "Well. Bye." Back out the door and down the stairs, pulling the case behind me.

"What should I tell Mom?" Isabella called from her room. I didn't answer. There really wasn't anything to say. She hadn't needed us for the last near 17 years, I was pretty sure she'd get over it. I knew I had. I opened the front door and came face to face with a set of brown eyes and sandy hair.

"Devon." He looked as startled as I felt. I could hear his heart race and his warmth radiated across the door frame. The ache became stronger. He looked me up and down and then behind me to the suitcase.

"Going somewhere?"

"Definitely somewhere." I pushed passed him. The heat rushed from him to me and I had to rest my hand against the wall. I needed something.

"Are you ok?" He moved closer, this wasn't helping.

"Mmmhm." I breathed in air. That didn't help either. Deep down I knew what would. "Do you want to go for a drink?" He looked me up and down again. Pig. And a smirk came to his face. I matched it back, dead behind the eyes. Dead.

O O - O O

Slow clapping; the sign of true exasperation.

"What a performance." He seemed to appear out of nowhere; a master vampire's talent. "More of your mess to clean up, Boys? I am not your maid." The fatherly scolding was marred by the underlying menace. "Now, you two," he pointed at Marco and Archie who were stood the furthest back, at the very edge of the cliff. "Why don't you go see if you can find the girl? It's not very family like to let one of your own wander off unprepared." His eyes followed them as they moved to go get their bikes. The last three boys stood, facing their master, square jawed and silent. The air filled with the roar of engines as the two sped past down the cliff road. "Now, you three. I need you to go down to the mad aunt's house. And I want you to get rid of it, and its inhabitants. And see that you do it properly, yes?" He grasped Dwayne on the shoulder and squeezed.

O O - O O

Devon was speaking but I couldn't hear what he was saying

ba-dump ba-dump ba-dump

It echoed in my ears. I could feel it in every nerve. I had stopped even trying to listen to him. Like he had anything of much importance to say. He had a hand around my waist. It was so warm.

ba-Dump ba-Dump ba-Dump

It was almost painful now. I knew why I had brought him hear. For a drink. And did I need it. We were just next to the car park behind the club we had been to before; a good a place as any. I veered him off the path, to the wall.

Ba-DUMP Ba-DUMP Ba-DUMP

"You look different" Of course I did, I was halfway dead. I led him to the side, he then backed me against the wall; so really it was his fault.

BA-DUMP BA-DUMP BA-DUMP

"You know, you're sister..."He didn't finish his sentence he just smashed his lips against mine. I rolled my eyes. I presumed he thought he was being romantic. He was a stupid, pathetic sleaze. Mmm, my favourite. He ran his hands up my side and pressed closer. I guess I should play along but I just couldn't muster the energy. The pain was literally convulsing through me. The continuous tug towards the boy in front of me and what was coursing through his veins. The hunger. He went from my mouth to my neck. So I did the same.

O O - O O

Isabella sat idly on the window seat, staring out onto the drive below.

"What a dump." She murmured, her eyes darting between her phone resting on her lap and the empty drive. It had been over an half an hour since Devon said he would come and she was not a girl that liked to be left waiting. She was so much better than that. She twisted a piece of hair between her fingers and watched her reflection in the window. Half an hour. There was movement in the reflection. She turned her head again to look out of the window again and was met by a huge gust of wind and the sound of engines permeating the night sky. The shutters that adored the old house began to rattle. God this was a shitty place. Isabella tried to reach round to close the window, having to lean out to reach the panes of glass.

Icy hands grabbed her round her shoulders and she was falling.

Icy laughter tore at her ears.

Icy teeth ripped and shredded her young skin.

Isabella's screams met with two others as crimson blood splattered the walls of the house. The only living beings turned as cold as their icy death bringers.

"I don't see why I got stuck with the old guy when you got such fresh meat." Paul whined at Dwayne as the boys went to stand at the front of the house. Dwayne grinned, the oil canister lolled in his hand.

"You snooze you lose Pauly boy." The gasoline diluted the blood stains on the walls.


End file.
